MakerSpace

Hey Ottawa! We’re looking for local Makers with 3D Printers!

we need your help poster

We are in this together!

The Canadian government is procuring medical supplies to address the shortage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). To address any shortage, groups of makers, engineers, and medical professionals are collaborating to find a way to address the PPE shortage here in Ottawa.

The Algonquin College MakerSpace has teamed up with CHEO, Hacking Health Ottawa, Thistledown Foundation and University of Ottawa medical students to lead the 3D print Maker community in the coordination and the rapid development of protective face shields.

Want to help? Are you an experienced Maker? Based in the Ottawa area? Have access to a 3D printer? Get in touch!

Register Here: www.ottawamakesppe.com

Algonquin College and George Brown College form new Research & Innovation partnership

Algonquin College and George Brown College research alliance

Algonquin College and George Brown College have formed a research alliance to explore new ways to collaborate and redefine the Canadian College research landscape.

By utilizing in-house expertise and state-of-the-art facilities, Canadian colleges help industry partners design, prototype and take new products and services to market, playing a critical role in social and economic development. The unique partnership between Algonquin and George Brown marks an important step forward, where two colleges will explore opportunities to share resources, develop best practices and enhance applied research across the region.

Under the agreement, Algonquin and George Brown plan to develop, implement and test new models for innovation and collaboration for applied research. They will look at ways of aligning their centres of excellence to share best practices, build each other’s strengths and minimize competing interests.

“We are proud to partner with George Brown College to pursue new, dynamic applied research opportunities,” said Doug Wotherspoon, Vice President, Innovation and Strategy at Algonquin College. “This agreement will allow us to further hone our capacity to innovate and discover different avenues for collaboration. Algonquin College continues to build on its reputation as a centre of excellence in applied research, and as such, we look forward to working with George Brown.”

Other benefits of the partnership include the possibility of pursuing joint application and grant proposals, and connecting faculty and students with similar interests, to enhance collaboration across institutions.

“This is what the future of research and innovation looks like – interdisciplinary collaboration across jurisdictions to leverage our unique individual strengths and expertise to their greatest potential,” said Dr. Rick Huijbregts, Vice President, Strategy & Innovation at George Brown College. “The George Brown-Algonquin partnership will better position both of our institutions as catalysts of Canadian innovation, leading to high-quality, high-impact outcomes for industry and the communities that we serve.”

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed on June 28 by Algonquin College President, Cheryl Jensen, Senior Vice President Academic, Claude Brule, George Brown College President Anne Sado, and Vice President Academic Dr. Cory Ross. The partnership officially kicked-off on July 15.

Algonquin Times: One of 10,000 Snowflakes

snowflakes

By

Last year, Algonquin’s DARE District was finally completed, giving students their own space where they can learn, create and socialize. Still, there was something more to be added that would add further meaning to DARE for students. This led to the idea to make 10,000 snowflakes customized to whatever date any student finds meaningful using a 3D printer.

“Every snowflake that falls is technically different,” explained Stephen Gagné, a student in applied research innovation and entrepreneurship. “Can we make one basic model that turns into something else? …We found one that worked.”

Not only did it work, but it also exceeded all expectations. Upon testing the limits of their new snowflake model, it was discovered that it can make over seven billion snowflakes, enough for every single person on the planet. Unfortunately, there’s not enough time or resources to make so many snowflakes, but there’s still enough to make something beautiful for students.

“We take somebody’s name, we take a date, plug them in and we can make something that has meaning to the people,” said Gagné. “This idea of engaging 10,000 people within the DARE District and then having something physical to say this represents 10, 000 different people.”

The snowflakes will be made purely of polylactic acid, a corn-based plastic that is 100 percent biodegradable. This means that within a few years, the snowflakes will break down. This might seem to defeat the purpose of creating the snowflakes in the first place, but Gagné disagrees.

“At Winterlude, people spend days making ice sculptures, then a week and a half later they’ve melted,” he said. “We can make something that’s going to be beautiful that will be gone a short time later, makes it better, not worse.”

Hopefully in a few years, if a proposed deal with the City of Ottawa is made, more of Ottawa will be able to see one million of these beautiful creations hanging in City Hall.

See the Original Article: http://algonquintimes.com/uncategorized/one-of-10000-snowflakes/