What if seniors recovering from heart failure could receive hospital-level care without leaving home? Or farmers could detect dangerous barn conditions before putting their poultry at risk?  

Of more than 40 participants from across Trent's Peterborough and Durham GTA campuses and the local community, two interdisciplinary teams of innovators each took home $2,500 at Trent University’s inaugural Innovation Bootcamp for their creative solutions addressing real-world regional health care and agricultural challenges. Funding for these two awards was made possible by generous community donors through the Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) Foundation and Launch Kawartha, respectively. 

Hospital-level care at home

Care4U@Home is a proposed virtual hospital model designed to support seniors recovering from heart failure. The winning team of the bootcamp’s health care stream leverages PRHC's existing software to enable patients to submit regular health updates from home. This would allow healthcare professionals to monitor their patient’s recovery and detect trends that regional home-care providers could address before hospital readmission becomes necessary. 

The idea was developed by an interdisciplinary team of Trent undergraduate students from Physics, Computer Science, and Business Administration, along with a Master of Management (M.Mgmt) - Health Care Management graduate student, an Applied Modelling & Quantitative Methods (AMOD) alum, and a Sustainability Studies professor.  

“Some of the biggest challenges in health care require us to think differently about how we deliver care,” said Justin D’Angelo, project manager at PRHC and Innovation Bootcamp judge. “I was impressed by the creative thinking and inspired by the fresh perspectives the participants brought to our problem statement — particularly the potential to use existing technology in new ways to support patients beyond hospital walls." 

More food and protein with fewer resources

Chekchik is a smart barn thermostat designed to protect poultry from dangerous temperature changes and ventilation failures. The idea was created by three Trent undergraduate students from Nursing, Artificial Intelligence, and Computer Science, and a Master of Management (M.Mgmt) - Health Care Management graduate student, and an AMOD alum. The system monitors barn conditions and sends alerts through a connected app, helping farmers identify and address potential issues before they threaten their flocks. 

“With no previous experience in the agriculture field, one of my biggest takeaways from Innovation Bootcamp was learning that developing a meaningful solution requires looking beyond the technology and truly understanding the problem you're trying to solve," said Aqsa Susan Yousafzi, a Computer Science student specializing in Software Engineering. 

Building on innovation in the Peterborough region

Presented by Trent's Office of Research and Innovation and the Create Centre for Entrepreneurship, Innovation Bootcamp brought together faculty, industry experts, and entrepreneurs to share their expertise and mentor participants in problem-solving, business development, pitching, and intellectual property.  

“Innovation Bootcamp gives students a valuable opportunity to apply their knowledge to real-world challenges, and learn from industry experts to develop the skills and confidence to turn their ideas into viable ventures,” said Dr. Tana Allen, vice-president, Research and Innovation at Trent University. “By connecting emerging talent with our region's business community, we're also strengthening the region's entrepreneurial ecosystem and helping turn promising solutions into practical solutions that directly address local needs." 

Other participating organizations included Mitacs, eCampus Ontario, Ontario Centre of Innovation, Angel Investors Ontario, CleanTech North, and Prima IP. The event was also made possible with the support of the City of Peterborough and Intellectual Property Ontario. 

The bootcamp was also where Launch Kawartha chose to announce plans for a new Rural Investor Network aimed at connecting entrepreneurs with investors, helping more businesses start and grow in the region. 

"There's tremendous entrepreneurial potential in our region, and working with students is an important part of helping that potential grow,” said Corey Norman, executive director of Launch Kawartha. “We want students and community members to see this region as a place where they can pursue their ambitions, launch successful businesses, and build their futures. It's about creating the conditions for great ideas and local talent to stay here and thrive.”

Learn more about the Create Centre for Entrepreneurship and Office of Research & Innovation at Trent.