Industry meets innovation as LocoMobi World finds its perfect partner in Humber Polytechnic’s Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation

An applied research partnership showcased student talent and helped provide a pathway to commercialization

By Chris Clay on
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When LocoMobi World was looking for a partner for an applied research project, Humber Polytechnic proved to be the right fit. 

“If you have the right project, you can do anything here (at Humber),” said Grant Furlance, CEO, LocoMobi World and Mobi Robotics. “You have a resource of students and engineers, smart kids - it’s what our vision was, and I wanted to bring on local talent. That’s the future and we need to invest in students. Humber checks all the boxes.” 

The project, which is first-of-its-kind, focused on Robot Navigation and Safety Optimization for Automated Parking. The collaboration with the Mississauga-based industry partner aimed to transform Mobi, an operational parking robot, into a fully autonomous solution for smart city parking. 

Supported by NSERC Mobilize and ARD grants, the project integrates 3D LiDAR mapping and advanced navigation technologies to deliver a Minimum Viable Product featuring autonomous driving, remote control, license plate recognition and safety signaling. The project was supported by Humber Faculty and students, Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation (Barrett CTI) technologists and administrative staff, and the Office of Research & Innovation. 

“This project and partnership with LocoMobi World really speaks to the impact and calibre of the students that we have at Humber,” said Nilushi Kariyawasm, project manager with the Barrett CTI. “Now the industry partner wants to go about commercializing it - not just alone, but with the students that worked on the prototype. I think that speaks to the impact of the project, the strong industry partnerships that we have and the calibre of the research that we do at Humber.” 

“The Barrett CTI is a 93,000-square-foot facility that’s uniquely built with purpose to align academia with industry,” added Neal Mohammad, director of the Barret CTI. “It allows for students, faculty and industry to collaborate within these spaces and give those students a competitive edge to their careers.” 

For more information about Humber’s research capabilities, leadership and partnership opportunities, please visit Humber’s Research & Innovation website.