University of Canterbury Smart Ideas funded projects

Accurate climate projections are crucial for helping Aotearoa New Zealand (ANZ) prepare for future changes, particularly in managing the risks of droughts and flooding. A major issue in current climate models is the difficulty in simulating interactions between aerosols (tiny airborne particles) and clouds. These interactions play a key role in cloud formation and precipitation processes, and drive model uncertainty. Many climate models rely on optimization based on Northern Hemisphere data, where aerosol concentrations are higher due to industrial activity. In contrast, the Southern Hemisphere’s cleaner atmosphere results in clouds with different precipitation formation pathways which are currently not well-represented in climate models. This limits the accuracy of forecasts of future rainfall changes over ANZ. To address these challenges, we will conduct an ambitious observational campaign to gather precise aerosol, cloud and precipitation data around ANZ. Supported by international partners, we will deploy instrumented aircraft, make measurements from a research vessel, and collect observations from Invercargill and at the Tāwhaki National Aerospace Centre. These targeted measurements will allow us to recalibrate climate models for Southern Hemisphere conditions, filling critical knowledge gaps. By integrating these observations into ultra high-resolution next-generation climate models, we aim to enhance the accuracy of precipitation projections for ANZ. This approach will significantly reduce uncertainties and provide more reliable forecasts, enabling ANZ to reduce the costs of adapting to future climate challenges.

In New Zealand, there are an estimated 30,000 people living with a spinal cord injury (SCI). Function is lost below the point of injury/compression, which can cause paralysis, affect the ability to breathe unassisted, and lead to neuropathic pain syndromes. This has a significant impact on both a patient’s quality of life, as well as that of their whānau. The cost is also substantial, with estimated lifetime costs of an SCI ranging from $5-15 million per individual. Current treatments involve de-compression surgery (which has low success rates and can only be used in 40-60% of cases), pain management, and intensive physiotherapy. There is no single treatment available that can restore the lost function. This research seeks to develop a revolutionary solution for spinal cord repair. Using cutting-edge technologies, our locally designed medical device will contribute to New Zealand’s blossoming biotechnology sector and create a scalable solution that restores function and quality of life for individuals with spinal cord injuries. Our project will also contribute significantly to New Zealand’s economic growth by enabling local manufacturing of the medical device, creating high-value jobs, and establishing a platform for future biotech innovation. Additionally, the device will have dual use in veterinary medicine, further broadening its impact. As a high-value export opportunity, this work will position New Zealand as a leader in advanced medical technologies while reflecting the country’s dedication to scientific excellence and societal wellbeing.

The production of critical materials and chemicals consumes large amounts of energy and releases significant amounts of CO2. The steel and ammonia industries alone produce ~13% of global CO2 emissions. These industries can be decarbonised by replacing the natural gas or coal used in these processes with hydrogen from water electrolysis. To enable this change, robust catalytic coatings on low-cost electrode substrates are required. For water electrolysers, while state-of-the-art electrocatalysts can minimise the operating costs to produce hydrogen, the cost of hydrogen over the lifetime of an electrolyser is still high due to the capital cost of these systems. This cost can be significantly reduced by coating low-cost substrates with catalytic thin films. To manufacture these thin films, we will use an established industrial method in a new way, and exploit the unique structures and phases produced by this method to create highly active catalysts. Our electrocatalytic coatings will unlock the potential for NZ to benefit from the rapidly growing multi-billion-dollar water electrolysis market, which will facilitate the decarbonisation of the steel and ammonia industry.

Volcanic eruptions are a dramatic and dangerous force of nature, posing significant risks to communities and infrastructure in New Zealand. Traditional monitoring systems often miss the small earthquakes that signal potential eruptions, leaving little time for warnings. Our research aims to revolutionise this by using cutting-edge fibre optic technology called Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS). Imagine turning a simple fibre optic cable into a string of thousands of closely spaced, super-sensitive sensors that can detect even the faintest ground movements. This technology allows us to monitor volcanic activity with unprecedented accuracy, providing earlier warnings and more time to prepare. We will conduct field studies at Ruapehu and the Te Puia geyser field to test and refine this technology. Geysers, which erupt frequently, offer a safe and controlled environment to perfect our methods. Our goal is to create a real-time monitoring system that can catch the early signs of volcanic eruptions, enhancing safety and preparedness for everyone living in these areas. This innovative approach not only boosts volcanic monitoring but also opens exciting possibilities for using fibre optics in other areas, like landslide detection and infrastructure monitoring. By integrating DAS into New Zealand's monitoring systems, we aim to protect lives and build stronger, more resilient communities against natural hazards.

Aotearoa faces frequent and significant risks from natural disasters, such as tsunamis, floods, and volcanic eruptions, which threaten communities and pose challenges for large-scale evacuations. Current evacuation systems alert communities about the need to evacuate but fail to provide route guidance, often leading to congestion caused by crowd-following behaviours, which delays evacuation and increases risks during emergencies.Our connectivity-based Evacuation (C-Evacuation) system offers an innovative solution. By harnessing the communication capabilities of connected and autonomous vehicles (CAV) and connected human-driven vehicles (CHV), this smart, connectivity-based evacuation system combines real-time traffic monitoring, adaptive traffic signal control, platoon speed control and dynamic navigation to deliver clear, actionable guidance for all vehicles. CAVs and connected emergency response vehicles (C-ERV) will act as leaders, forming and guiding platoons of human-driven vehicles (HV) and CHV along optimised routes and speeds, preventing crowd-following behaviour, ensuring near-continuous flow across intersections and facilitating faster and safer evacuations without relying on costly infrastructure upgrades. This C-Evacuation system is designed for mixed-traffic environments, accommodating CAV, CHV and HV. Through Virtual Reality (VR) experiments and advanced traffic modelling, the project will develop intuitive way-finding systems, simulate emergency scenarios and test evacuation strategies. C-Evacuation is designed to adapt to future advancements in CAV technologies, making it practical for today’s conditions while prepared for fully connected traffic networks of the future. The project promises significant benefits by improving safety, reducing evacuation times, and minimising congestion during emergencies. It eliminates the need for expensive infrastructure investments and supports New Zealand’s emergency management strategies. Additionally, C-Evacuation contributes to global innovations in disaster resilience. This system represents a pioneering step toward smarter, more coordinated responses to natural disasters, setting a new global standard for evacuation systems.

Flooding is a widespread and impactful hazard, frequently causing damage to housing and infrastructure, disruption to communities and businesses, and risk to human life. It is expected to intensify in future because of climate change through increased storminess coupled with urbanisation. However, stakeholders including Māori lack the detailed, wide-ranging scenario assessments needed for complex decisions regarding mitigation and adaptation, or the means to effectively communicate these to their communities.

We will deliver a novel digital twin (DT) for climate resilience, focussing on flood risk. The system will facilitate rapid, low-cost risk assessments with on-demand scenario analytics, and effective ways to visualise and communicate this risk and its associated uncertainties. With guidance from our Māori partners, the scenarios developed will ensure appropriate options are considered.

Physics-based DTs such as ours will revolutionise access to and use of numerical model predictions, through a “digital twin web” which is powered by rapidly growing data and distributed cloud computing. Yet individual components need to be built and tested to ensure they are fit-for-purpose, democratic and adaptive to society’s needs. Our research will enable this, initially in Aotearoa but with global applicability.

This strategic partnership consists of leaders in flood risk research, humanitarian engineering for hazards, infrastructure practitioners and Iwi leaders. Our team has successfully developed a prototype proof-of-concept DT which will form the foundation for this research. Our DT will remove barriers to flood risk assessment, greatly increasing the availability of information for resilience planning decisions. It will improve communication and understanding of flood risks, and enable communities to be better informed, prepared, and engaged in mitigation and adaptation.

In response to Aotearoa New Zealand's critical need for well-trained professionals in early childhood education (ECE) and healthcare, and confident parents, our research offers an innovative solution: The VR Baby training tool focused on enhancing relational skills in sensitive interactions, particularly between adults and infants.

At the heart of our approach lies whanaungatanga, the Māori value of forming and maintaining relationships. Through immersive VR experiences, our tool aims to develop intuitive responses and attentiveness to communicative cues, ultimately improving care-giving techniques in real-world encounters. By enhancing the quality of care and education provided to infants and paediatric patients, our VR-based approach has the potential to foster higher levels of well-being, reduce failure rates in early childhood learning and healthcare, and alleviate burdens on social services.

Our interdisciplinary team is dedicated to evaluating the impact of VR-enhanced training on relational skills and assessing its applicability across various professions. Early findings indicate significant improvements in professionals' confidence and competence.

The impact of our research extends beyond professionals to the infants and their parents, as well as the broader IT and media training industry in New Zealand. We are committed to extracting design principles from our research to benefit IT and game development for training, ensuring that future professionals are equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary for compassionate and effective care.

Together, we are pioneering a new era in professional education, driven by intercultural values, innovation, and a shared commitment to the well-being of New Zealand's youngest citizens.

Despite the critical importance of mechanical reliability in our modern economy (accounting for 4% of GDP in industrialised nations), assessing reliability, particularly through fatigue failure testing, remains a cumbersome and error-prone process. Traditional methods of fatigue testing are not only slow and costly but also plagued by high variability, making it difficult to predict when mechanical failures might occur.

The proposed research will pioneer the development and use of a novel mechanical fatigue testing methodology designed to dramatically enhance testing throughput. The improvement in throughput will allow for the creation of very large datasets that will reveal the fatigue life distribution in unprecedented detail. This will enable characterisation of the tail of the distribution, which is the source of rare but catastrophic failures that are pivotal in shaping engineering and investment strategies. With this new information, predictions from existing datasets will be improved and the proposed high-throughput methodology can be used to dramatically reduce both the time and cost associated with fatigue testing. This advancement represents a significant leap forward in the field, promising to influence both current practices and future developments in material testing.

Our international team, including experts from the University of Canterbury, University of Memphis, Sandia National Laboratory, and industry partners in New Zealand, is collaborating to bring this technology to life. This initiative not only promises to transform the $0.5 billion fatigue testing market in New Zealand but also positions the country at the forefront of technological development, accelerating the transfer of laboratory innovations to market-ready technologies. For existing technology, it offers improved anomaly detection in safety-critical applications, as well as maintenance scheduling, which in many cases constitutes a primary cost of technology utilisation.

Methane’s global warming potential is much more powerful than CO2 and represents 40% of NZ’s carbon footprint (primarily from dairy). NZ’s Paris Accord commitments and the Zero Carbon Act require a 10% reduction in methane emissions by 2030. Currently, there is no solution to address methane beyond herd reduction. This project will develop enhanced biofiltration technology to convert a significant fraction of the methane exhaled by cows to CO2.

Converting methane to CO2 eliminates the problem, as atmospheric CO2 is extracted by the grass fed to the cows (photosynthesis). Therefore, this CO2 release is carbon-neutral, with zero net-impact on global warming, as compared to fossil fuel CO2 releases.

To treat the methane, it must be captured and treated. Traditional dairy barns are not widely used in NZ; however, regulatory changes for nitrate will shift cows off the paddock (especially in winter) into shelters, with the additional benefit of improving animal welfare. This transformational shift to shelters offers an opportunity for biofilters to solve the dairy CH4 problem. Methane-contaminated air flows through the biofilter and natural microorganisms convert it to CO2. Biofiltration is common in NZ but not for methane removal, because the removal rates are too slow. This project will implement several key science developments to significantly improve the removal rates of methane.

Beyond contributing to the required 10% reduction in methane emissions, success will offset the industry’s commitments to the emission trading scheme, which agriculture must join by 2025. Biofiltration could provide ~30-50% of NZ’s required methane reduction. Success would also have international impact because methane emissions are a world-wide problem from many sources (landfills, coalmines, wastewater).

Advancements in the digital realm have revolutionised nearly every aspect of human life. One such life-changing invention, the computer, granted us access to unprecedented data creation/processing capabilities. The profound implications of this innovation can be experienced across multiple levels, from instant photo processing for maximum impact to global video connectivity. The remarkable computing power enabled by digital machines has also significantly enhanced scientific endeavours, yielding truly spectacular results. While magnified images can be obtained using a light source and a lens, one can only explore the boundaries of light-based imaging—and push them further—through specialised detail-revealing processing. Similarly, chemical detection is done by measuring light reflected from a substance, but only advanced processing of output signals can improve the precision of that detection.

Now, a new digital "invention" has emerged, heading towards the most significant impact yet: artificial intelligence (AI). Representing an evolutionary leap for computers, neural networks operate on abstract levels that were previously unattainable using traditional algorithms. This exceptional characteristic forms the basis for novel research aimed at developing a neural network performing Fourier transformation—an algorithm dominating the digital landscape—without its inherent limitations. As this algorithm plays a crucial role in device accuracy, its advanced and high-performing version will unlock technological advancements across numerous fields. The methods using Fourier transformation to generate images (Optical Coherence Tomography, Magnetic Resonance Imaging) will output dramatically improved detail, with visualisation capabilities pushed to the virtual limits. The chemical detection based on Fourier-transform spectrometry will be ultra-precise, impacting drug discovery. This AI-powered Fourier transformation will potentially pave the way for research into upgrading/perfecting other fundamental blocks of modern techniques.

Imagine having a battery that lasted just as long after 5, 10 or even 20 years of use as the day it was new. This is the promise of redox-flow batteries, which store energy using liquid electrolytes rather than solid electrodes that degrade over time. Unfortunately, they won't be coming to a mobile phone or computer near you any time soon, partly because consumer electronics and liquids don't mix but - more seriously - because they can't store nearly enough energy in a small enough volume for many practical applications. Our research aims to solve this problem by inventing new materials known as ionic liquids that are a lot more energy dense than the materials currently used in redox-flow batteries.

If we're successful, they still won't replace your phone or computer battery but they may replace lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles (imagine being able to refill your tank with charged battery fluid rather than having to wait at a charging station!), will be a really good, cost-effective and environmentally-conscious replacement for the lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries commonly used for storing electricity generated by rooftop solar panels, and will also be able to play this role on a much grander scale; storing all energy generated from the variable and intermittent renewable supply (for example, wind, solar, tidal) across the grid network. These batteries will play a critical role in helping New Zealand reach its climate change goals of 100% renewable electricity generation by 2035 and carbon neutrality by 2050.

Illicit substances cause approximately $2B worth of harm in New Zealand. Harm is driven by the consumption of unexpected illicit substances, large dose (concentration) variations, and the presence of harmful impurities or additives. Existing technology cannot provide information on these factors. Therefore enforcement and health agencies are requesting new tools to enable a transition to harm reduction practices (SEO200413).

Approximately 50 new illicit or potentially psychoactive chemical species are identified every year. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is one of the few techniques that is sensitive to the subtle structural differences between these samples. Benchtop NMR instruments have become available that make NMR accessible to standard analytical laboratories. However, the analysis of benchtop NMR data is challenging. This project will develop a world-first approach for automatic identification and quantification of illicit substances by frontline agencies, directly on-site at the point-of-use.

Our new approach will exploit a recently developed quantitative model of NMR spectroscopy. We will develop a novel Bayesian framework for this model and integrate that with machine-learning enhanced quantum mechanical simulation tools (SEO220402). This approach will enable automated quantification and structural identification of novel psychoactive substances.

There is a large market for this technology in forensic analysis, with drug checking services providing additional growth opportunities (SEO150499). Furthermore, the methodology developed could be adapted to, for example, the analysis of food and drink, or chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing, indicating substantial future opportunities.

We will also explore the socio-economic impact of our technology by engaging with various end-users including the Ministry of Health, Māori health providers, police, drug checking services, and drug takers.

The key elements to run a pre-programmed complex multistep enzymatic assay in capillaric devices are yet to be developed. The new elements needed include automated and simple switch-on, switch-off, mixing, timed incubation, and measurement functionalities.

Leveraging our new IP in capillaric devices and expertise in diagnostic assays, we will develop these elements and create an easy-to-use chip for in-house, quantitative real-time testing of grape juice, wine ferments, or finished wines as proof-of-principle. Wine makers tell us this is needed to reduce uncertainty, reduce production and analytical costs, and improve productivity. New Zealand winemakers already spend ~$60M p.a. on assays, yet produce just 1% of wines globally—if we are successful in developing our capillaric platform, then there is a significant international market for assay devices to be manufactured here in New Zealand and exported to wine makers overseas.

If successful in wine making, our platform will be adapted for the much larger biomedical diagnostics sector (e.g., ELISAs), or the environmental monitoring sector (e.g., nitrate sensing).

Our team consists of experts in assay design, microfluidics, wine chemistry, diagnostics, device engineering and commercialisation. We partner with wine makers and the wine industry through the Bragato Research Institute, which is the New Zealand Winegrowers’ research centre.

Soilless hydroponic farming shields vulnerable produce from the mounting effects of changing weather patterns, rising surface temperatures, natural disasters, etc. It enables growing food closer to large population centres and reduces the “food miles” associated with distribution, reducing the carbon footprint (low emissions).

However, a critical determinative factor in hydroponics cultivation is water quality. The recirculated hydroponics water must be treated for emerging micropollutants that, besides root exudates, may also contain pesticides, endocrine-disrupting chemicals (e.g., plastics leaching) and fluorinated substances from continuous accumulation.

This project will invent a new photoelectrochemical water-treatment GreenTech that removes micropollutants effectively. The weather-adapting feature of the technology allows water to be recirculated sustainably or safely discharged. By protecting clean water as taonga (treasure), our GreenTech enables safe and sustainable soilless farming, providing climate-resilient economic growth, e.g., off-season cultivation of high-value produce or microgreens, etc.

Once developed, the water-treatment device will serve as a general platform for the continuous development of photoelectrochemical systems for other energy and environmental applications, including hydrogen generation, CO2 and nitrate removal, etc.

Our project team is comprised of national and internationally leading researchers in the area of micro/mesoporous materials, photocatalysis, electrochemistry, electronic devices, hydroponics, and Mātauranga Māori. Our industry partners include agri-device manufacturers, NZ water supply advisors and demonstration end-users.

New Zealand's transition to a 100% renewable energy economy requires new power electronic devices that are faster, cheaper, and more efficient at handling our precious wind, solar, geothermal, and hydro electricity resources. More efficient and faster power electronic devices are needed to reduce the costs and energy losses so that as little as possible is wasted. A multidisciplinary expert team of scientists and electrical engineers from around the world will work on the development of an exciting new power electronic semiconductor material called gallium oxide.

This work has the potential to significantly improve the costs and efficiency of generating, distributing, and using renewable electricity for all our energy needs. This will create high value jobs In New Zealand and will be a big step towards meeting the New Zealand Government's targets of 100% renewable energy by 2035 and net zero emissions by 2050. Success in this endeavour represents a huge commercial opportunity as the world switches to renewable electrical energy, with the power electronics industry projected to grow to US$ 44.2 billion by 2025.

Governments worldwide are ill-equipped to understand their risk from climate change, partly due to existing limitations in risk science. We propose to address these limitations and fundamentally shift how risk analysis is conducted, enabling local governments globally to understand and adapt to their risks. In NZ, the Zero Carbon Act (2019) requires local authorities to assess their climate risks - likely needed for the 2026 national climate change risk assessment.

The NZ government considers risks using the following interdependent value domains: Natural environment, Built environment, Human, Economic, and Governance. This interdependence means that an impact on one will incur consequences to others. However, while existing risk assessments and governmental guidance documents have recognised this interdependence (critical from Te Ao Māori perspectives), none successfully manage these complexities. Additionally, existing assessments and guidance fail to sufficiently address the changing risk over time; consider the risk spatially (essential for evaluating adaptation options); evaluate impacts from compounding and cascading hazards; and address the inherent uncertainty. These limitations are not confined to NZ; a worldwide review of climate adaptation plans concluded they are "unlikely to be effective" (Olazabal & Ruiz De Gopegui, 2021), indicating a global shortage of adequate guidance.

We propose a Knowledge Hub for Climate Risk Analysis Innovation to address these limitations. This work will set the global standard for assessing climate risk to maximise societal benefits for communities worldwide.

New Zealand (NZ) has an ongoing housing crisis. The strong demand and supply chain issues have made housing an unsustainable problem with construction delays and an increase in material costs. Also, the construction industry has lacked innovation and it is moving at a slow pace compared to other industries. In addition, the global construction industry is responsible for 37% of CO2 emissions.

Digital fabrication in construction is a promising technology that could disrupt the current industry by producing high-quality, fast and integrated new design and construction processes. Research shows that digital fabrication and 3D printing of concrete could build 75% faster, emit 40% less CO2 and produce 70% less waste than traditional construction methods. The 3D-concrete printing technologies developed overseas cannot be immediately implemented in NZ because of the unique seismicity of the country.

This research aims to develop a 3D-concrete printing technology for residential houses that are low-carbon and seismic resilient. The new technology created would reduce the CO2 emissions of homes in two ways: 1) by developing 3D-printable mixes that use locally-sourced waste materials such as mussel shells and paper sludge ash and low- CO2 producing magnesium-based concrete; 2) by developing earthquake-resilient 3D printed structural configurations that are optimised to reduce materials usage and waste while improving structural efficiency.

We aim to develop design and construction guidelines for 3D-concrete printed houses. The guidelines will enable a new approach to construction in NZ which is cheaper and faster and can help to address the current housing crisis. We aim to provide a pathway to utilise waste products aligned with a circular and sustainable economy that also meets targets to address climate change.