A group of Team 1305 robotic students have combined their knowledge to create a product they hope will help combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
Emily Yates, along with teammates and business partners Ella Kelso and Fionna Truong used their smarts to create the UV Qube-it, which is a COVID-19 Ultra Violet sterilizing unit.
“This all started when our robotics team built a UV sterilizer to help sanitize PPE for doctors at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Yates.
“So we decided to see what we could do and design our first prototype.”
On Tuesday, the trio of West Ferris students business called FEME Innovations, received through its partner Canadore College, $101,000 00.
The funding will enable Canadore College to assist with the pre-commercialization of a device that will offer small businesses and social organizations a user-friendly, cost-effective sterilization method to comply with public health and safety regulations.
The funding was part of a FedNor funding announcement via Zoom this morning.
“It is impressive to see the work from these West Ferris Secondary students come so far,” said George Burton, President and CEO of Canadore College.
“The unique Qube-it team is to be congratulated on their inventiveness, creativity and entrepreneurship to develop technology to solve a real issue. Thanks to the FedNor funding today, Canadore College can help move this project further along.”
Yates says the product moved forward thanks in large part to iCamp, which is located at the Canadore Commerce Court Campus in North Bay.
The device could be used to sterilize items such as identification badges, pagers, shoes, masks, toys, just to name a few.
“Our next step in our business is to get our product out to our target markets which are Health and Wellness, Beauty and Personal Care, Education, Child Care, Hospitality, Tourism, Professional and Community organizations with large retail,” said Yates.
“We hope that we can help as many people as we can in these challenging times.”
She says for every 100 Qube-it they sell, the innovative young North Bay entrepreneurs will donate one to a warming shelter.
