Innovation you can wear

Across Canada, the healthcare system is challenged with delivering care to more people, across greater distances and with increasing complexity as our aging population grows rapidly. With a lack of infrastructure and care personnel to keep up, there is a growing demand for scalable, human-centered technologies that support care beyond traditional healthcare settings.

One promising approach is wearable technologies, which are body-worn devices equipped with sensors and connectivity features that monitor health, fitness and daily activities. From consumer devices like smartwatches to specialized medical wearables, these technologies track vital signs, detect patterns and transmit real-time data — enabling personalized and proactive health management.

Five recent applied research projects at Sheridan are advancing the practical application of these wearable health technologies to support more effective health monitoring, rehabilitation and empowered independent living. Through Sheridan’s strong collaborative industry and community partnerships, the innovations being developed are accessible, real-world solutions that improve healthcare options for individuals, caregivers and communities alike.

Digital smart health assistant improves health monitoring accuracy and accessibility

Sheridan’s Faculty of Applied Science and Technology (FAST) recently partnered with Anand Jain, founder of global electronics manufacturer Avnan Electronics Inc., to develop a digital smart health assistant designed to help monitor and enhance the health and well-being of seniors. The product consists of two key components: a wearable wristband that collects real-time health data, and a digital platform accessible through a mobile app.

Funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada’s (NSERC) Mobilize Seed Fund and led by FAST professors Dr. Ning Zhu and Dr. Zohreh Motamedi , the project designed the digital smart health assistant’s hardware circuit, which integrates sensors and a microcontroller to monitor heart rate, oxygen saturation and fall detection, as well as GPS to detect wearer’s position and cameras to monitor seniors’ status. The project also leveraged artificial intelligence (AI) to build a virtual assistant capable of reminding users about medication schedules, appointments and daily activities. The digital platform can also organize the users’ data with the help of AI and securely transfer them to the systems used by the wearer’s doctors.

Designed with accessibility and affordability in mind, the innovative wearable technology is intended to be implemented in retirement and long-term care homes— enhancing safety for users, providing caregivers with critical health insights and offering peace of mind to residents’ families and friends.

Weighted fitness vest can promote balance and improve quality of live in older adults

Sheridan’s Centre for Elder Research (CER) partnered with Toronto-based fitness wearables company Power WearHouse to explore how the company’s flagship product, the Power Weighted Vest, can help improve balance and stability in older adults.

Led by Dr. Lia Tsotsos, Generator at Sheridan’s Director of Research & Innovation, and supported by an NSERC Mobilize Seed Fund, the project engaged participants aged 55 and older to be fitted with the vest and evaluated on both physical and non-physical measures related to balance, confidence and overall quality of life. Through this collaboration, Power WearHouse gained valuable user feedback on the design and usability of its Power Weighted Vest to inform future product development, as well as a greater understanding of how tools like these might support a falls prevention strategy for older adults. The complete results of the study were published in the journal Health Science Reports.

With falls and fall-related injuries affecting one in three Canadians over the age of 65 each year and driving significant healthcare costs, evidence-based approaches are critical to supporting the health, safety and independence of older adults while helping to reduce strain on Canada’s healthcare system.

Transmitting complex data from smart garments into user friendly health information

Sheridan's FAST and Centre for Applied AI (CAAI) collaborated with tech consulting firm Vee Canada, as well as Centennial College, Humber College and the University Health Network’s KITE Research Institute, to advance the development of a data acquisition system that integrates e-textiles, fabrics with embedded electronic components, and wearable therapeutics. The system is built within a five-layer Internet of Things (IoT) architecture enabling physical data like temperature and heart rate to be digitized and transmitted.

The acquisition system architecture includes a sensor technology layer to gather the relevant health information, a communication layer for combining multiple channels of data and forwarding to cloud servers through networking gateways, a dashboard for healthcare providers to access patient data, an AI model for patient assessment and a data integration layer for patient medical data and doctor information. Supported by an NSERC Applied Research and Technology Partnership (ARTP) and led by Dr. Khaled Mahmud (FAST) and co-investigator Dr. Haruna Isah (CAAI), Sheridan’s contribution to the project focused on developing the communication layer, AI integration and user interface for healthcare professionals. The team was able to create a framework that enabled data collected from multiple sensors to be securely transmitted to the cloud for processing and sharing with consumers.

This project produced valuable insights into overcoming the challenges of collecting reliable data from fabric-based sensors as well as hardware and software integration. The project’s final phase refined the framework further by incorporating sensors and client-monitoring applications — helping to improve the design and development of wearable tech that supports user well-being by collecting, analyzing and transmitting health data in real time.

Smart tech for breast cancer recovery

As a key part of McMaster University-led project StrongArms-Cancer, funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Sheridan's Dr. Carolyn Moorlag (CIM) and Dr. Haruna Isah (CAAI) led a research team that built an accessible self-care tool that empowers breast cancer survivors to take control of their recovery. Combining wearable technology, smart sensors and a mobile app, the device works to detect upper extremity complications, such as lymphedema, that often go unnoticed until it becomes serious.

The project produced three prototypes that calculate arm length, circumference and volume in real time, paired with a digital goniometer to measure range of motion and a Progressive Web App (PWA) to analyze data. Together, the system enables motion tracking and delivers personalized educational content to users. Bluetooth connectivity allows patients to accurately capture measurements, monitor trends over time and receive health-management insights directly on their phones or tablets.

Now undergoing testing at McMaster University’s School of Rehabilitation Science, StrongArms-Cancer is positioned to become a transformative health wearable — reducing complications, improving patient self-management and reshaping how cancer recovery is supported.

Wearable eye tracker set to transform sports and rehab tech

Sheridan’s Centre for Intelligent Manufacturing (CIM), CAAI and FAST partnered with neuro-optic eye care and rehab service Oakville Centre for Vision to develop a next-generation wearable eye-tracking system designed for real-world use. The project addresses the growing need for flexible eye-tracking tools to support applications in elite sports performance, injury recovery and vision rehabilitation.

Supported by an NSERC ARTP grant and led by Dr. Sara Shaheen (FAST) and Dr. Ethan Shen (CIM), with leadership from Dr. Moorlag and Dr. Isah (CAAI), the interdisciplinary research team laid the foundation for Difference Goggles — a lightweight, head-mounted eye-tracking device designed for comfort and mobility. The system captures real-time visual behaviour, including rapid eye movements, fixations and gaze–object interactions, while simultaneously collecting environmental data. These data points are integrated into a newly developed software platform that supports visualization, modelling and simulation.

Next steps include refining the physical hardware and clinical modules, improving user interfaces, and advancing the technology toward practical deployment in clinical, athletic and research settings.

As connected health solutions become increasingly essential, Sheridan is driving the implementation of wearable technologies in everyday care that empower both users and those who support them. By generating actionable insights, supporting informed decision-making and enabling more proactive, personalized care, this work is helping to strengthen care delivery, promote independence and support healthier living across diverse communities.

About Generator at Sheridan

Generator at Sheridan is where purpose and passion unite the extraordinary research, innovation and entrepreneurship undertaken by Sheridan’s faculty, staff and students, working across disciplines and sectors, to drive meaningful impact for an ever-changing world. In addition to our exceptional faculty-led research, Sheridan also boasts five renowned research and entrepreneurship centres that provide innovation supports to community, industry and government partners. Learn more at sheridancollege.ca/generator.