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Technical Capabilities

SmartTO connects mobility-focused startups and SMEs with leading technical expertise from York University’s Lassonde School of Engineering and Centennial College’s School of Transportation. Through applied research collaborations, faculty, graduate students, and technical specialists work directly with ventures to address engineering and product development challenges from increasing technology readiness levels (TRLs) to refining prototypes, testing systems, and advancing toward commercialization.

These collaborations provide access to cutting-edge facilities, multidisciplinary talent, and specialized knowledge, accelerating innovation and strengthening Ontario’s transportation and mobility ecosystem.

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Automotive Design & Testing

  • State-of-the-art labs (GM, Ford)
  • Access to electric buses
  • Key expertise in Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), mechanical engineering, design

Virtual & Physical Living Lab

  • Digital Twin living lab
  • AI tools to optimize testing
  • Physical living lab for testing new mobility technologies
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Smart Materials

  • Expertise in modelling and design
  • Analyze mechanical behaviours in microstructure from stress to stability testing
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3D Printing & Microfabrication

  • 3D printing
  • Film Photomask Service
  • Thin film coating and etching
  • Photolithography
  • Surface characterization
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Electrification

  • Access a real time simulator for smart grid testing, battery testing
  • Electrical system management
  • Techno-economic analysis
  • Detailed feasibility studies for electrification

Software and AI Solutions

  • AI-driven decision-making for autonomous vehicles and robotics
  • Digital Twin of campus for real-world mobility simulation
  • High-fidelity digital modeling for technology validation

Research Centres

York University is home to world-class research centres driving innovation in mobility, transportation, and related technologies. These centres bring together interdisciplinary expertise, advanced facilities, and industry partnerships to accelerate discovery, applied research, and commercialization. By collaborating with these centres, SmartTO clients gain access to specialized knowledge, technical resources, and collaborative opportunities that strengthen their innovations and market readiness.

At York University's Lassonde School of Engineering, the Mobility Innovation Centre (MOVE) leads in advancing transportation through groundbreaking research. MOVE integrates interdisciplinary expertise to tackle today’s mobility challenges and develop innovative solutions in:

  • Autonomous Mobility: Enhancing safety and performance with data-enabled autonomous vehicles.
  • Sustainable Mobility: Using big data to address safety and electrification in transportation.
  • Mobility Analytics: Leveraging AI to analyze and predict mobility patterns.
  • IoT and Connected Mobility: Advancing multi-band wireless networks and IoT for reliable vehicular communication.
  • AR/VR Mobility: Utilizing AR/VR for realistic simulations and autonomous vehicle development.

MOVE’s pioneering research and expertise make them a key partner for SmartTO, driving the future of smart mobility.

MTEC Lab Capabilities

The Manufacturing, Technology, and Entrepreneurship Centre (MTEC) at York University's Lassonde School of Engineering integrates diverse disciplines to rapidly advance technologies. MTEC's mission is to foster collaborative research and impactful solutions through strong academic and industry partnerships.

MTEC Highlights:

  • Globalization and Industry 4.0: Adapts to global material supply, flexible manufacturing, and Industry 4.0 advancements.
  • Society 5.0 Integration: Utilizes AI to address social issues and enhance technology impact.
  • Experience and Achievements: Boasts 30 years of industry experience, numerous awards, and $15 million in collaborative grants.

Flagship Project: SARIT

  • Micro-mobility Innovation: A disruptive electric vehicle project, focusing on user discovery, data collection, and advanced technology integration for manufacturing.

Film (Transparency) Photomask Service

A film (transparency) photomask serves as a low-cost alternative to soda-lime masks and is indispensable in UV lithography. It facilitates the selective pattern transfer of structures from the mask to the photoresist layer on a substrate. Applications include creating patterns for metal electrodes or interconnects, microfluidic channels, and movable or immovable microstructures of MEMS sensors. YMF has optimized traditional PCB masks for microstructures down to 20μm. This service includes design and printing, with costs based on time and material consumption. Available materials are listed below.

Materials:

  • Indium Tin Oxide (ITO)
  • Zinc Oxide (ZnO)
  • Titanium Dioxide (TiO2)
  • Aluminum (Al)
  • Silver (Ag)
  • Tin Oxide (SnO2)
  • Carbon Graphite (C)
  • Copper (Cu)
  • Titanium (Ti)
  • Chromium (Cr)
  • Nickel (Ni)
  • Silicon Nitride (Si3N4)
  • Silicon (Si)
  • Gold (Au)
  • Palladium (Pd)
  • Platinum (Pt)
  • Tungsten (W)
  • Bismuth (Bi)
  • Tantalum (Ta)
  • Tin (Sn)

Thin Film Coating and Etching

Thin film processes are essential for microelectronics, MEMS, and microfluidics. YMF offers a comprehensive suite of instruments for thin film deposition and etching, including a Sputter Deposition System, an eBeam Evaporator, Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD), and Reactive Ion Etching (RIE) tools. We provide services for depositing/etching single or multiple layers of thin films, utilizing materials such as Au, Ag, Al, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pt, Ti, ITO, SiOx, SixNy, and others. The fee structure for this service is based on time-based equipment usage, labor, and optional material costs.

Photolithography with UV

Our advanced UV mask aligner enables YMF to offer UV photolithography services for creating custom microfluidic or MEMS structures, components, or devices. Currently, we provide custom microfluidic master molds and PDMS devices. The service rate is based on each order.

Surface Characterization

The KLA Contact Profilometer and the Keyence Digital Microscope in the YMF labs are a powerful suite of microscopic tools, capable of extracting surface profiles ranging from a few hundred nanometers to a few millimeters. YMF accepts samples from users and performs surface characterization. The fee structure is based on time-based equipment usage and labor.

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