Reimagining Health Monitoring using Applied Electromagnetics

#artificial-intelligence #radar #sensing #antenna #telecommunication #electromagnetics
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Advances in radar sensing, electromagnetics-based digital twins, and physics-aware artificial intelligence are opening new frontiers in healthcare innovation, especially for remote regions with limited medical infrastructure. This talk reviews developments in practical, low-cost systems using mmWave radar for contactless monitoring of glucose monitoring, vital signs, falls, sleep, and daily activities. These solutions are privacy-preserving and scalable, making them ideal for both rural clinics and urban homes. In the presented demos, we showcase how the choice of antenna designs plays an important role alongside enhanced signal processing algorithms in interpreting radar signals to detect subtle health changes, from early signs of frailty to abnormal breathing. We also explore select benefits of electromagnetics-based digital twins that model device placements, integrated antenna architectures, and human-radar interaction, accelerating product development cycles.


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  • 200 University Ave W
  • Waterloo, Ontario
  • Canada N2L 3G1
  • Building: E7
  • Room Number: PSE 7363 Faculty Hall.
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  • Starts 28 June 2026 04:00 AM UTC
  • Ends 09 July 2026 04:00 AM UTC
  • No Admission Charge

  Speakers

Professor George Shaker of University of Waterloo

Topic:

Reimagining Health Monitoring using Applied Electromagnetics

Advances in radar sensing, electromagnetics-based digital twins, and physics-aware artificial intelligence are opening new frontiers in healthcare innovation, especially for remote regions with limited medical infrastructure. This talk reviews developments in practical, low-cost systems using mmWave radar for contactless monitoring of glucose monitoring, vital signs, falls, sleep, and daily activities. These solutions are privacy-preserving and scalable, making them ideal for both rural clinics and urban homes. In the presented demos, we showcase how the choice of antenna designs plays an important role alongside enhanced signal processing algorithms in interpreting radar signals to detect subtle health changes, from early signs of frailty to abnormal breathing. We also explore select benefits of electromagnetics-based digital twins that model device placements, integrated antenna architectures, and human-radar interaction, accelerating product development cycles.

Biography:

George Shaker is a research scientist at the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging, where he founded and directs “THE MIRADA - Technology for Health Empowerment: Monitoring, Intervention, and Response for Aging Demonstration Apartment,” an initiative aimed at improving healthcare for aging populations through advanced sensing technology. He is also an adjunct associate professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada, where he is the Lab Director of the Wireless Sensors and Devices Laboratory. Concurrently, he is the Chief Scientist at Spark Technology Labs where he has been leading innovation in wireless sensor technologies for smart transportation since its founding in 2011. Previously, Dr. Shaker was an NSERC scholar at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA. He also held multiple roles with Research In Motion (RIM, now BlackBerry), where he contributed to the development of wireless communication technologies.
George has co-authored over 250 peer-reviewed publications and holds more than 35 patents, including several assigned to industry leaders such as Google in the fields of Augmented Reality and Sensing. His research has been recognized with numerous awards, including several IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society (AP-S) Best Paper Awards. Dr. Shaker is an i2I Canada Fellow, and the IEEE Sensors Council Distinguished Lecturer (2025-2027).

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Address:457 Woodsmere Cres., Pickering, Ontario, , Pickering, Canada, L1V 7A5