Tag: innovation | Durham College

The ingenuity and dedication of Durham College (DC) students was on full display at the 2025 DC Innovation Showcase last week.

Organized by the DC Engineering Club and held in the Centre for Innovation and Research (CIR), the event challenged students to present innovative projects aimed at addressing climate change, while competing for over $5,000 in prizes.

Members of the DC community and industry professionals attended, engaging with students about their cutting-edge projects and the real-world applications they have.

“Events like these are my favourite because they are student-led. This showcase is a reflection of not only the passion and the dedication that our students bring to their studies here at DC, but live demonstrations of the solutions they envision and test for societal challenges,” said Dr. Jean Choi, Vice President, Academic and Students. “This powerful platform allows students to showcase their incredible work while cultivating meaningful connections and building on the knowledge they have learned in labs, classrooms and work placements.”

A panel of industry professionals evaluated the prototypes based on criteria such as creativity, feasibility, and potential impact.

The top prize in the individual category went to Mechanical Engineering Technology student Nathan Colburn for his full carbon fibre bike frame.

“A lot of us in the Mechanical Engineering program work on tons of different things outside of school. This is an opportunity to show off what we can do,” he said. “It’s fun being able to show everyone different concepts and ideas.”

In the group category, the team of Mechanical Engineering Technology students Douglas Aubrey-Sleeper, Joshua Dervent, and Wyatt Martorino took the gold for their ‘KERS Bike.’ By incorporating a kinetic energy recovery system (KERS), it can operate like an electric bike without the use of a battery.

“We’re just happy that we showed up and got good feedback from everybody. We were really happy with the experience,” said Aubrey-Sleeper.

With so many creative and boundary-pushing projects on display, the event lived up to its name as a showcase for the talented future professionals at DC.

“It was inspiring to see innovative projects tackling real-world challenges, with valuable interdisciplinary collaborations that brought together diverse perspectives,” said Tania Clerac, Executive Dean, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Information Technology. “Our students truly showcased the power of innovation and their potential to make a lasting impact on society. I’m proud of the amazing work and excited for what’s to come!”

Here are the complete results of the competition.

Individual Category

Gold Winner – “CFG-01” by Nathan Colburn, Mechanical Engineering Technology
Silver Winner – “Arduino Dual Plant Hydration System” by Jack Koebel, Mechanical Engineering Technology
Third-year Finalist – “CFG-01” by Nathan Colburn, Mechanical Engineering Technology
Second-year Finalist – “Roll Up Charger” by Braiden Daschuk, Mechanical Engineering Technology
First-year Finalist – “Thermal Battery Optimizer” by Thomas Heine, Electronics Engineering Technology

Group Category

Gold Winner – “KERS Bike” by Douglas Aubrey-Sleeper, Joshua Dervent, and Wyatt Martorino, Mechanical Engineering Technology
Silver Winner – “Fire Barrier” by Ridley Singh and Dash Darbyson, Mechanical Technician – Elevating Devices
Bronze Winner – “Medical Robot” by Xie Zonghuo, Brendan Mcbride and Ryan Groskopf, Electronics Engineering Technology

Durham College (DC) Advanced Law Enforcement and Investigations students are using an innovative and interactive way to practice their crisis de-escalation techniques thanks to a new virtual reality (VR) scenario program.

The program was designed to deepen students’ communications skills by providing more real-time opportunities to practice the difficult scenarios they would face in the profession, said Program Coordinator Yvonne Armstrong, who was inspired to incorporate the new VR tools by both her own position on the Toronto Police Services’ Mental Health and Addictions Advisory Panel, as well as by recommendations from the Program Advisory Committee.

Christopher Patton is one of the 23 Advanced Law students who had the opportunity to try out the system first. He’s now gone through dozens of scenarios, which last five to 10 minutes each and deal with everything from suicidal people to citizens with dementia to domestic violence. Patton says that one of his most memorable recent scenarios was a traffic stop where he practiced pulling an individual over and talking them down and making sure everything was under control.

“When you’re in it, it feels real with the noises and traffic going by, you’re looking at everything and there’s a lot going on,” he said. Already a graduate of the Police Foundations program, Patton says he’s de-escalated similar situations on placement so appreciates how valuable the training can be.

Patton also gains a lot by watching his classmates go through their scenarios (students interacting with the scenario wear VR headsets but the rest of the class can follow along by watching a screen projection). The space is set in a 10 x 10 metre perimeter with cameras 360 degrees around the user, so users can look all around when using the headset.

“You get to see a different perspective when other people answer. Everyone approaches scenes a little differently, so it shows you that difference,” says Patton.

Armstrong unfolds the scenario in real time on the headset, advancing the scene based on students’ responses and even starting over if they get stuck, which is part of the benefit. “It’s a safe environment—it allows for the student in the scenario to stop, start and reset, and for students watching to also learn from the feedback,” said Armstrong. She says it’s a great opportunity to expand students’ communications practice, an essential employability skill.

“I don’t expect perfect responses, but I always say, ‘let’s talk, let’s think about the questions you should ask,’” she said, noting that while some students may have a bit of experience, others have never done this sort of exercise. “For them, it’s really a shock, and in real life, you can’t stand and freeze. Hopefully, this provides some skills and situations.”

Patton agrees: “This is your time to make mistakes, where you’re allowed to mess up, versus on the job.”

Engineering brilliance on display at DC Innovation Showcase

DC Advanced Law students use virtual reality to gain essential de-escalation practice