RE/ACTION Showcase

AC students tackle senior isolation and loneliness with mobile application 

According to Statistics Canada, roughly 30 per cent of Canadian seniors are at risk of becoming socially isolated — a challenge that Algonquin College Mobile Application Design and Development students are hoping to address with their senior living application, Hello Dear, which will be unveiled at the April 14 RE/ACTION Showcase.

Hello Dear is a mobile application focused on connecting seniors with their loved ones and caregivers to reduce loneliness and isolation. The application offers key features such as a “Daily Checker” that will assess the user’s mental and physical wellness and offer entertaining and empowering suggestions to the user depending on their mood.

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AC learners research innovative solutions for biological pest control

As part of sustainable, integrated pest management initiatives, learners in the Biotechnology – Advanced program are researching safe and effective alternatives to conventional chemical pesticides in the form of microscopic roundworms known as nematodes. By working with DNA fingerprinting, third-year students Dara Palmer and Autumn Henry are creating diagnostic profiles to identify different nematode species. They will debut their research findings in the upcoming RE/ACTION Showcase on April 14.

Nematodes are roundworms that exist naturally in nearly every ecosystem worldwide. As part of their life cycle, nematode larvae enter into a pest insect through naturally occurring openings, then release bacteria and mature rapidly, thus killing the host insect. In this study, wax moth juvenile caterpillars are used as this moth species acts as the model system to efficiently assist in the nematode life cycle. As a form of pest control, nematodes can be used for many insect pests affecting ecosystems from home gardens to commercial agriculture.
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Smart Tenant wins first place at RE/ACTION Showcase

Smart Tenant earned first place at Friday’s RE/ACTION: Applied Research Showcase. The mobile app provides a platform for tenants to connect with the local community, buy and sell good in an online marketplace and correspond with their shared property management company.

The members of the student team that designed the app — including leader Kiet Vuong, mobile app developer Evan Liko, web developer Son Tran and UI/UX designer Kseniia Chornokondratenko — each brought their own expertise to achieve the client’s vision. Features of the app include private messaging between tenants, landlord/tenant correspondence through cloud functions, as well as moderation of not safe for work content on the newsfeed and marketplace screens through the use of AI.

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