ASET Technology Alberta Winter 2019 - 25

capstone

NAIT

VISAIDE Smart Cane
D I S C I PL I N E :

Biomedical Engineering Technology

TEAM MEMBERS:

Nathaniel Painchaud
Dan Oake
Navneet Kaler

In Their Own Words...
Nathanial: My interest in designing, building, and fixing
started with my childhood love of LEGO®. During my initial post-secondary studies in Environmental Sciences, I
worked as a carpenter during the summers. After graduation, I loved building things so much I opted to become a
fulltime carpenter, rather than pursuing a career in my field
of study.
Fast-forward five years, and I was ready for a new challenges and learning opportunities, specifically a program and
career that involved similar levels of hands-on work, while
being part of an innovative, technology-driven field. Enter
NAIT's Biomedical Engineering Technology Program (BET).
Healthcare is a field that is constantly growing and evolving,
and as facilities and practices become increasingly technology dependent, BET studies provide great opportunities to
become an integral part of the healthcare system by providing the required technical expertise to support all this
new technology. I really value the idea that my work can,
and hopefully will, have a positive impact on the lives of the
patients who rely on technology to diagnose and treat their
health problems.
Dan: I was born and raised in Nova Scotia, joining the Canadian Armed Forces directly out of high school. I have called
a few places across this beautiful country home since then,
including New Brunswick, Ontario, and Alberta.
During my decade-long career as a dental assistant, I was
the go-to-guy whenever any of the dental equipment malfunctioned, despite having no formal repair training. Noticing my affinity for troubleshooting and repairing dental
equipment, a biomed friend of mine, who was a former dental assistant, encouraged me to apply for the Biomedical
Engineering Technologist Program at NAIT. He, along with

several other biomeds I knew, informed me that NAIT had
the best biomedical engineering program in Canada. So I
took the leap, and haven't looked back.
I like to spend my down time with my friends and family doing anything that allows us to get outside and enjoy nature,
such as hiking, biking, kayaking, swimming, and skiing. After a full day of outdoor activities, nothing beats going to a
movie, followed by beating my kids at Smash Bros. or Mario
Kart.
Navneet: I was a chemistry professor in an engineering college in India and moved to Canada to be with my husband
in 2016. I decided to go back to school and take Biomedical
Engineering Technology. I chose this program because I always wanted to work in healthcare and liked NAIT's handson approach. I chose this school for many reasons, including its strong reputation, the fact that it offered the program
of my interest, and that its courses are developed in strong
partnership with industry. I was impressed by the smooth
transition I experienced going from classroom learning to
the workplace.
In my spare time, I enjoy reading books, baking, cooking and
spending time with my loved ones.

Our Capstone Project
The VISAIDE Smart Cane project stemmed from the need
for advancement in assistive technology for the visually
impaired, and was built around the core goal of creating a
modern tool to increase independence and improve mobility. The percentage of the population with visual impairments is increasing rapidly. As of 2018, the World Health Organization estimates that there are 36 million blind people
and 217 million people globally with moderate to severe vi-

TECHNOLOGY ALBERTA | WINTER 2019 | 25

ASET Technology Alberta Winter 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ASET Technology Alberta Winter 2019