Antonio Miguel-Cruz, DrSc, MSc, NucEng

About

---

Research

Research

Research interests

Miguel-Cruz is the director of the PEAR lab. Miguel-Cruz is an engineer and his research focuses on understanding how technologies used in community and healthcare settings can foster healthy aging and, ultimately, the wellbeing of older adults and their caregivers. Miguel Cruz's research program is based on three components, namely, the acceptance, adoption, and usability of technologies; the implementation and validation of technologies; and the design and development of ICT-based platforms to monitor and use data analytics to predict healthy aging trajectories.

Research projects (selected)

1. 2023-2024. Miguel Cruz, A (PI), Rios Rincon, AM (co-PI), Chan A (co-PI), Gregson, G (co-PI). Feasibility of high-accuracy indoor positioning and smart home technologies for assessing and monitoring older adults. Funding: $74,000. Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation (CABHI) – Spark Program ($50,000) and $24, 000 in kind contribution from Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital. (Total project cost: $74,000)
2. 2022-2024. Rios Rincon, AM (PI), Miguel Cruz, A (co-PI). GlenxRose – Linking the Clinic and Industry to Improve Patients’ Adherence to Therapeutic Interventions Using eXtended Reality. Funding: $165,000. Mitacs – Accelerate Internship Program $135,000 and $30,000 in cash contribution from Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital. (Total project cost: $165,000)
3. 2021-2024. Liu, L (PI), Miguel Cruz, A (Co-PI). Managing Risks of Going Missing Person Living with Dementia by Building Capacities of SAR Personnel, First Responders, and Communities. Funding: Government of Canada, Ministry of Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness. Search and Rescue New Initiatives Fund Program (SAR NIF) 2021-2024. Funding: $2,147,740.00. ($730,013) allocated as a Subgrant to Miguel Cruz, A (Co-PI); $ 400,003.00 in-kind contributions. (Total project cost: $ 2,547,393.00)
4. 2019-2021. Miguel-Cruz, A (PI), Rios-Rincon, AM (co-investigator), Guptill, C (co-investigator). Evaluating a new device for hand therapy - the FEPSimTM:  a feasibility and usability study. Funding: 2018/2021 Accelerating Innovation into CarE (AICE) program, Alberta Innovates. Funding: $150,000; $46,002.00 in-kind contribution from Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital and Royal Alexandra Hospital; $104,000.00 in-kind contribution from Karma Machining & Manufacturing Ltd. (Total project cost: $300,002.00)
5. 2020-2023. Liu, L (PI), Miguel Cruz, A (Co-PI), Ferworn, A (Co-PI). Technologies for assessment and management of wayfinding risks for persons living with dementia in their communities (Award Number: AWCRP-2020-08). Funding: AGE-WELL Core Research Program 2020-2023. Funding:  $600,000 over 3 years. ($149,510.00 (YEAR 1-3) allocated as a Subgrant to Miguel Cruz, A (Co-PI), Study 2: A brief scale to measure usability of locator device products).

Research Affiliation

Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, Alberta Health Services

---

Teaching

Research

The PEAR lab has opening positions for HQP at all levels, i.e., master, Ph.D. and postdoctoral. Interested students looking for a supervisor are welcome to contact me directly.  

Project 1. DEVELOPMENT OF A ROBOTIC TOY FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES

Student background: Mechanical or electrical engineering, with an emphasis on robotic and programming skills 

Project summary: This project will support several activities related to the development of a robotic toy enabling play activities of children with disabilities. This project aimed to to develop two interactive games. These are the hide-and-seek and tag games. We will integrate hardware and software to develop these interactive games. In both games, the robot must be able to navigate in the house, locate and recognize the child. We will also develop a user interface to control the robot. This will include a special remote control to be used by children with movement limitations; and an Android-based app in order for parents, teachers, or therapists to set up the robot features (e.g., distance, rotation angles, sounds etc.) to conduct the therapeutic activities and games.    

Project 2. INTELLIGENT SENSING OF RANGE OF MOTION DURING PROGRESSIVE LIFTING IN RETURN-TO-WORK CAPACITY EVALUATION

Student background: Electrical engineering, with an emphasis on biomedical engineering and programming skills 

Project summary: This proof of concept and prototyping project is to enhance functional lift capacity testing with quantitative biomechanical data obtained from whole-body motion tracking, heart rate data, and machine learning, paired with a pilot study to begin to determine ROM normative ranges during functional lifting testing. We aim to further quantify and standardize this approach by using 3D motion tracking that can determine joint locations, range of motion, and movement patterns obtained from sensors placed across the body (i.e., XSens Awinda). Further, as heart rate is a component of the EPIC lifting capacity test, electrocardiogram monitoring will be included to the motion data.

Project 3. USE OF GUARDIO, A HEALTH CANADA-LICENSED MOBILE APPLICATION, AND MACHINE LEARNING TO DESCRIBE MOBILITY PATTERNS OF PERSONS LIVING WITH DEMENTIA 

Student background: Machine learning and computing science  

Project summary:  The goal of this project is to examine the acceptance and usability of GuardIO - Family Care, mobile application. It supports persons with cognitive impairment and their care partners to develop risk mitigation strategies through understanding the patterns of their mobility by leveraging a cloud-based telematics platform licensed by Health Canada. This enables the care partners to receive timely care and support.  This Health Canada licensed app is developed by WeTraq and available on app stores and SunLife Lumino Health marketplace. It combines GPS and WiFi to provide real-time location monitoring and safety alerts. It does not require an additional device other than one’s personal smartphone. We will use machine learning driven analytics to describe mobility patterns of participants with dementia and without dementia (care partners). This information can be used to identify changes in mobility to inform decisions about personalized care and support services.  Increasing prevalence of dementia in Canada calls for strategies like GuardIO to address risks of getting lost and going missing, while supporting the health and wellbeing of persons aging in place. 

Miguel-Cruz, A, Bohórquez, AF, Aya-Parra, PA

Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology. 2018 January;

---

Liu, L; Miguel-Cruz, A; Ruptash, T; Barnard, S; Juzwishin, D.

Behaviour & Information Technology. 2018 January; 37 (6):634-645

---

Liu, L., A. Miguel-Cruz, A., Ruptash, T, Barnard S, and Juzwishin, D.

Journal of Technology in Human Services.. 2017 January; 35 (2):99-119.

---

Miguel-Cruz, A., Ríos Rincón, A.M., Rodríguez Dueñas, W.R., Quiroga Torres, D.A., Bohórquez Heredia, A.F.

Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology. 2017 January; 12 (5):429-440.

---

12. Liu, L., Strolia, E., Nikolaidis, I, Miguel-Cruz, A., and Ríos Rincón, A.

International Journal of Medical Informatics. 2016 January; 91 (1):44-59.