Wisar Lab & Technology Gateway

09/04/2026

Through the Data2Sustain European Digital Innovation Hubs Network programme, WiSAR partnered with Hillcrest Nursing Home to enhance reminiscence therapy through immersive digital innovation.

Hillcrest sought to address a key challenge: traditional reminiscence methods, such as photo albums and storytelling, offered limited engagement for residents - particularly those with cognitive challenges - and lacked scalability for diverse care needs.

With support from the Data2Sustain programme, the team, led by Dr. William Farrelly, developed 360° virtual reality content featuring familiar Irish beaches and rural scenes. Pilot trials were conducted to refine resident experiences, while staff were trained to create and manage an in-house VR content library, ensuring long-term sustainability of the solution.

The result was stronger emotional engagement among residents, increased digital confidence among staff, and the establishment of a cost-efficient, scalable model for reminiscence therapy - demonstrating how immersive technologies can enrich care experiences and support innovation across the healthcare sector.

Building on this success, the project has secured further research funding and is now expanding its impact across additional care homes in the region.

🔗 Explore the full case study: https://www.wisar.ie/case-studies/implementing-virtual-reality-to-enhance-reminiscence-therapy-for-older-adults/

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26/03/2026

We were delighted to welcome partners from the NWCAM2 PEACEPLUS project to the WiSAR Lab this week.

It was a pleasure to host David Phelan and Ryan Harty, from Catalyst, along with Jonathan Steele from the North West Regional College (NWRC). Led by our Director, Dr Nick Timmons, the WiSAR research team warmly welcomed the group as we shared insights into our ongoing research and explored opportunities for collaboration.

It was great to showcase our facilities, including our state-of-the-art anechoic chamber, and demonstrate some of the cutting-edge work taking place in the lab.

NWCAM2 (North West Centre for Advanced Manufacturing 2) is a cross-border initiative supporting SMEs in the life and health sciences sector to adopt sustainable, advanced manufacturing solutions. The programme focuses on driving innovation, improving competitiveness, and enabling the transition to net-zero practices.

Engagements like this are vital in strengthening partnerships and accelerating impactful research and innovation across the region.

Learn more: https://www.nwcam2.co/

13/02/2026

Through the EDIH, WiSAR partnered with AmuGreen & MyGug to improve mobile access to real-time food waste and renewable energy insights.

MyGug enables homes and businesses to convert food waste into renewable energy, but its desktop-only dashboard limited accessibility for users who increasingly rely on mobile devices. The challenge was to enhance mobile access without increasing development costs or duplicating effort.

With support from the Data2Sustain EDIH, the team developed a Progressive Web App (PWA), integrating seamlessly with existing APIs. The solution delivers a simple, responsive interface for real-time biogas production and recycling data, and was tested and refined through direct user feedback.

Since launch, mobile logins have increased by 40%, user satisfaction has reached 90%, and dashboard load times have been halved, demonstrating how a scalable, cost-effective digital solution can enhance user experience while supporting sustainability goals.

🔗 Explore the full case study: https://www.wisar.ie/case-studies/micro-scale-anaerobic-digester/

30/01/2026

Through the Data2Sustain EDIH, WiSAR Lab and Technology Gateway, Atlantic Technological University partnered with Big Look Art to advance AI-powered analysis and discovery in the fine art sector.

Big Look Art identified a key market challenge: the lack of scalable tools capable of delivering consistent, nuanced interpretation of artworks. Manual tagging is slow, while generic AI models often fail to capture artistic emotion, symbolism, style, and historical context.

With support from Data2Sustain, the team worked with WiSAR Lab to build a modular Large Multimodal Model (LMM) tailored specifically to fine art. The solution combines computer vision and language generation to automate artwork classification and descriptive interpretation, supported by a curated dataset of thousands of annotated artworks created through a hybrid human-AI process.

The result: reduced manual effort, improved search and discovery through richer contextual and stylistic links, and demonstrated market interest from galleries and cultural institutions - highlighting how applied AI can drive accessibility and innovation across the global art-tech space.

Explore the full case study: https://www.wisar.ie/case-studies/ai-powered-art-analysis-and-discovery/

15/01/2026

Through the Data2Sustain European Digital Innovation Hubs Network programme, WiSAR partnered with BERGO - Specialist BER Assessment Software to modernise how Building Energy Rating (BER) assessments are carried out in the field.

BERGO identified a core industry challenge: traditional BER assessments rely heavily on manual sketches and fragmented tools, making the process time-consuming, error-prone, and inconsistent, while delaying reporting and limiting readiness for future digital integration.

With support from the Data2Sustain programme, the team designed and tested a digital BER assessment platform built in collaboration with assessors. The solution enables on-site digital floor plan capture, real-time logging of key building data, and a simple, user-friendly workflow, while being future-ready for SEAI system integration.

The platform delivers faster assessments, improved accuracy through standardised data capture, reduced time on-site and post-visit, and strong market validation, demonstrating how applied digital innovation can streamline energy assessment and support the sector’s digital transition.

Explore the full case study: https://www.wisar.ie/case-studies/streamlining-ber-assessment-through-digital-floor-plan-capture-and-automation/

14/01/2026

Measured Performance and CST-Based Analysis of UWB Vivaldi Antenna for Wind Turbine Blade Health Monitoring

We are pleased to announce the acceptance of our peer-reviewed paper entitled “Measured Performance and CST-Based Analysis of UWB Vivaldi Antenna for Wind Turbine Blade Health Monitoring” for presentation at EuCAP 2026, taking place in Dublin, Ireland (19–24 April 2026).

This work, authored by WiSAR Postdoctoral Researcher Dr. Sahar Saleh, presents a CST-based electromagnetic analysis and measured performance evaluation of an ultra-wideband (UWB) Vivaldi antenna for wind turbine blade health monitoring applications. The study focuses on antenna characteristics relevant to wireless monitoring scenarios, with particular emphasis on wideband operation and performance validation through measurement.

The work contributes to ongoing research into antenna solutions for wind turbine blade monitoring and was accepted to EuCAP 2026 following peer review by multiple reviewers and the Technical Programme Committee.

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09/01/2026

We are delighted to welcome the announcement that the Irish Government has committed €23 million in funding to extend the European Digital Innovation Hubs Network (EDIH) Ireland programme into Phase 2 (2026–2029).

This investment reflects the proven value of the EDIH programme in supporting organisations on their journeys in digitalisation, AI innovation, advanced technology adoption, and access to broader enterprise and research supports.

As a proud partner in the Data2Sustain consortium, we look forward to continuing and expanding our contribution to Phase 2, working alongside our consortium partners and collaborating nationally with fellow EDIHs including CeADAR Ireland, ENTIRE EDIH Ireland, and FactoryXChange.

Together, we will scale impact, strengthen innovation capacity, and support sustainable digital transformation for Irish industry and society.

🔗 Read more about the announcement and Data2Sustain consortium updates:
https://lnkd.in/dDfsj2bt

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08/01/2026

As we begin 2026, we’re reflecting on a year of collaboration, applied research, and delivery across the WiSAR Lab.

Throughout 2025, we worked closely with industry partners to develop practical, data-driven solutions, strengthen research–industry links, and support technology adoption across multiple sectors.

These highlights capture some of the projects, partnerships, and progress that shaped our work over the past year.

Moving further into 2026, we remain focused on enabling innovation, supporting industry, and translating research into real-world impact.

🎥 Watch our 2025 highlight reel

Enterprise Ireland

07/01/2026

Technology developed in Donegal is helping to provide clean drinking water in Uganda and could be rolled out to other countries next year.

06/01/2026

Through the Data2Sustain EDIH programme, WiSAR partnered with the Rehab Group to explore how AI and automation could strengthen inclusive employment services.

Rehab Group faced a significant operational challenge: manually searching, aggregating, and logging job vacancies across multiple platforms was highly time-consuming, limiting staff capacity to focus on direct client engagement and employer outreach.

With support from the Data2Sustain programme, the team prototyped an AI-driven job aggregation and lead generation tool. The solution automatically collected and standardised job listings, identified relevant roles and hiring contacts using AI, and populated structured data directly into the CRM - reducing manual input and streamlining workflows.

As a result, the organisation saved over 20 staff hours per week, improved data accuracy, accelerated employer engagement, and enhanced the scalability of its employment services, demonstrating how applied AI can support social inclusion and deliver real operational impact.

Explore the full case study: https://www.wisar.ie/case-studies/prototyping-an-automated-job-lead-generator/

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05/01/2026

We are pleased to see continued national media coverage of this ATU-led research project, with a recent feature in the Irish Independent.

The project showcases a smart, solar-powered sensor developed by researchers at WiSAR, Atlantic Technological University that supports reliable access to clean drinking water in rural Uganda. Using IoT, wireless communications and embedded systems, the technology monitors the performance of handpumps at borehole water points, enabling early detection of faults and faster response by local maintenance teams. This helps reduce downtime, improves system reliability, and minimises the risk of communities having to rely on unsafe water sources.

Following successful field deployments, the project is now nearing completion and has generated interest in scaling the solution to additional locations and countries, demonstrating the potential for meaningful international impact through applied research.

Read the full article here:

Technology developed in Donegal is helping to provide clean drinking water in Uganda and could be rolled out to other countries next year.