I weaponize adversity, engineering solutions from every challenge I face.
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It started with a simple question I couldn’t put down: who does the system leave behind, and what would it take to reach them?
That question led me to build eight systems: OncoSense, a sub-$600 AI ultrasound for cancer screening. A brain-controlled wheelchair. An on-device melanoma classifier. A robotic arm. A virtual typing system. An object distance reader. A gun detection model. Each one started because someone was falling through the cracks. These projects have been recognized on national and international stages.
As the Programming Technical Reference for FRC Team 9277, I competed at the FIRST Robotics World Championship and learned that strong technology only solves half the problem. Getting it into the right hands takes vision, mentorship, and business thinking I never expected to need.
I serve as a board member of the Youth Advisory at the Alberta Children’s Hospital, a Flight Corporal in the Air Cadets, and a member of the Mayor’s Youth Council. At the Young Canadians Parliament, I spoke with the Honourable Mark Miller about social media safety. I have also run more than 40 free coding and math workshops for kids. Technology does not fix problems on its own. People do. In my journey, I weaponize the challenges I face, turning adversity into solutions.
Built VirtualTyping, a Unity VR/AR system with a caregiver control panel, streaming a letterboard overlay onto a Meta Quest 3 headset for assistive communication.
Learn more →Programming Technical Reference for the Sparkans. Wrote the team's public GitHub documentation, led shooter-physics and vision-system development for the 2026 robot Atlas, and introduced a Jetson Orin Nano vision system with CUDA acceleration, going from 1 camera to 4. Competed at the FIRST Robotics World Championship.
Learn more →Alberta Children's Hospital. Advisory board member who has co-chaired CAYAC meetings, reviews patient handouts and gives youth input on hospital projects.
Learn more →Youth Central. Provides input, organizes events, and initiates opportunities to help Calgary's youth discover careers and promote youth employment.
Learn more →Represents youth interests in federal-level advocacy and policy development. Spoke with the Honourable Mark Miller about social media safety.
Learn more →Leads cadet parades, including the annual Remembrance Day contingent, and takes part in camps and leadership training.
Learn more →Mentors children in 40+ free coding and math workshops, helping them refine their skills.
Learn more →Completed the 2025/2026 YELL Canada Program, a high-school course in building ventures with community mentors.
Learn more →Showing all 8 projects
FLAGSHIP · CYSF GOLD · CWSF BRONZE · PFIZER AWARD
An affordable, sub-$600 handheld ultrasound system combining custom pulser/receiver circuitry, a 5MHz transducer, and a Teensy 4.1 microcontroller with a Jetson Nano 4GB running real-time YOLOv8 segmentation. Delivers 95% accuracy screening for breast, liver (HCC), and papillary thyroid cancers in underserved rural populations.
Learn more / Open case file →A hands-free smart wheelchair that steers where the user looks, pairing HoloLens eye-tracking with Muse EEG headband concentration and facial-muscle intent to restore mobility for quadriplegic individuals.
Learn more / Open case file →
CYSF GOLD · SCHULICH 2ND · CWSF BRONZE
A real-time melanoma screener running a YOLOv5 model on a Jetson Nano, classifying moles as benign or malignant from a live camera feed at 94% accuracy, with nothing leaving the device. Winner of the Schulich School of Engineering 2nd Prize and CYSF Gold.
Learn more / Open case file →Fuses real-time computer vision with ultrasonic ranging to narrate the physical world aloud, engineered for independent navigation for visually impaired individuals.
Learn more / Open case file →A vision system that detects a firearm in a live camera feed and triggers automated police notification, cutting emergency response time in public safety situations.
Learn more / Open case file →A Unity VR/AR system built during a University of Calgary internship that streams a letterboard overlay onto a Meta Quest 3, giving nonverbal users a responsive communication platform.
Learn more / Open case file →Joel’s first engineering build was a working mechanical robotic arm designed and built at age eleven, winning a CYSF Gold Medal and the Terry Allen Special Merit Award.
Learn more / Open case file →A working solar and wind build showing how a home could run on renewable power instead of fossil fuels, and what that takes off its carbon output. Won at school level at St. Jerome Elementary School.
Learn more / Open case file →Every item below is used in a project on this page, not a course list. Open any project to see where it shows up.
The languages the seven systems are actually written in.
Models trained, tuned and run on the device rather than in the cloud.
Boards, sensors and enclosures built from scratch.
Everything else the builds run on.
32 honours across ten years, including national science-fair medals in back-to-back years, a Samsung national podium, a global Intel finalist spot, and more than $10,000 in prizes and university scholarships. Choose a year to see exactly what was won that year, or All to see every award.
Stage 2 global finalist · 2026
Learn more →Canadian Pacific Regional · Team 9277 · 2026
Learn more →FIRST's highest team honour · Team 9277 · 2026
Learn more →Avenue Calgary · making health care more accessible
Learn more →Rideau Hall Foundation · OncoSense · 2026
Learn more →STEM Fellowship & Cisco · 2026
Learn more →Platform Calgary · for OncoSense · 2026
Learn more →National 2nd of 90+ schools · Fan Favourite · HEROChair · 2025
Learn more →OncoSense, AI portable ultrasound · 2025
Learn more →CYSF special award · OncoSense · 2025
Learn more →CYSF special award · OncoSense · 2025
Learn more →Represented Calgary at CWSF Fredericton · 2025
Learn more →National bronze · OncoSense · Fredericton 2025
Learn more →Awarded at CWSF · OncoSense · 2025
Learn more →Awarded at CWSF · OncoSense · 2025
Learn more →The Skin Screener, AI melanoma detector · 2024
Learn more →University of Calgary · The Skin Screener · 2024
Learn more →CYSF special award · The Skin Screener · 2024
Learn more →Represented Calgary at CWSF Ottawa · 2024
Learn more →National bronze · The Skin Screener · Ottawa 2024
Learn more →Awarded at CWSF · The Skin Screener · 2024
Learn more →Awarded at CWSF · The Skin Screener · 2024
Learn more →Innovate Award finalist · 2024
Learn more →Gold medallist · 2024
Learn more →Safety AI weapon detection + vision aid for the blind · 2023
Learn more →Environmental Engineering Challenge · 2023
Learn more →Youth Leadership Program · 2022
Learn more →Robotic Arm, first engineering build · 2021
Learn more →CYSF special award · Robotic Arm · 2021
Learn more →Community Diwali celebration volunteer · 2018
Learn more →Represented St. Jerome Elementary · 2016
Learn more →Calgary region winner · 2017
Learn more →250 logged volunteer hours since 2022, sorted the way Joel measures them: people, planet and prosperity.
250 logged hours since 2022 across the Alberta Children’s Hospital, Calgary Public Library, Youth Central, and community church youth service.
Learn more →Free coding and math workshops for kids at Calgary Public Library, 81 hours on the Youth Advisory at the Alberta Children’s Hospital, and church youth service.
Learn more →Conservation work with the Weaselhead Preservation Society, environmental clean-ups through Youth Central, and sustainable assistive innovation.
Learn more →Careers work on the Mayor’s Youth Council, Platform Calgary’s Tech Stampede Social for 400+ guests, and Intel AI Global Impact Festival innovation.
Learn more →Public references on X & LinkedIn, media coverage, and official institutional award registries.
Television coverage during the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest, April 2025. Joel is filmed operating the wheelchair with his facial muscles.
Learn more →Samsung Canada’s official 2024-25 result: 2nd place in Canada out of more than 90 schools, and the Fan Favourite Award.
Learn more →A featured profile in the March/April 2026 issue, on science projects that make health care more accessible.
Learn more →Nominated by his peers and named a finalist at the 2026 Canadian Pacific Regional, with Team 9277.
Learn more →Onco Sense recorded as a 2026 Prairie Region winner, announced April 24, 2026, with a ceremony hosted by the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta.
Learn more →The national award list and the ceremony slides from Ottawa, both naming Joel and The Skin Screener.
Learn more →Public shoutout and doctor reference from longevity physician Dr. David Barzilai (@agingdoc1), commending Joel’s initiative and conference volunteering at 14.
Learn more →Joel’s post on volunteering at Canada’s first precision longevity summit, featuring public responses and recommendations from Dr. Barzilai, Dr. Mangat, Darrol Baker, and Dr. Kapoor.
Learn more →Dr. Anmol Kapoor published an official summit reflection highlighting young participants driving AI and healthcare-related research.
Learn more →CYSF publicly recognized Joel Amaldas for receiving Second Prize in the University of Calgary Schulich School of Engineering Awards for The Skin Screener.
Learn more →The school journal’s 2023 science fair report lists Joel as 1st Place in the Innovation category for “Using Real-Time Object Detection to Improve the Safety and Quality of Life”.
Read it ↗Engineers, physicians, and industry leaders who have seen Joel’s work firsthand, and put it in writing. Full letters available on request.
Joel’s greatest quality is his strong work ethic and his vision that allow him to grow as he works towards his goals. He consistently demonstrates genuine curiosity and leadership across our engineering design challenges.
Teacher, STEM Innovation Academy
Joel played a crucial role in ensuring the summit’s success, demonstrating exceptional dedication, adaptability, and a commitment to excellence. Their performance demonstrated a rare combination of leadership, initiative, and adaptability.
Cardiologist · CEO & Founder, BioAro Group of Companies
Joel is an active, engaged participant in CAYAC meetings, demonstrating an ability to critically reflect on consultations and provide thoughtful, constructive ideas and feedback. Over the past three years, I have seen Joel’s collaborative and leadership skills grow.
Family & Youth Engagement Coordinator, Alberta Children’s Hospital
Joel was very engaging with patrons, made sure that children felt welcomed to the games table, and ensured snacks were neat and inviting for everyone. He is a very patient volunteer who enjoys playing with kids — excellent teamwork with the other volunteers.
Coordinator, Volunteers & Programs, Calgary Public Library
Joel is clearly a dedicated young person with a passion for making a difference in the community. His dedication to the community has led him to be an engaged volunteer in the Youth Volunteer Corps program, contributing 61.25 hours to the Calgary community.
YVC Program Coordinator, Youth Central
Joel, this is fantastic! Your enthusiasm and dedication at just 14 are truly inspiring... Only 14 years old and already volunteering in conferences, and approaching speakers for advice. When it comes to making a positive impact in the world—you can never start too early... or too late.
Founder & CEO, Barzilai Longevity Consulting · Longevity Physician
Joel, I loved our chats on AI, you’re a credit to your school and family. I recommend all to read Joel’s fantastic article. A true pleasure meeting the next generation in AI with so much passion. I know BioAro and myself are super excited to see and help your development.
Data & AI Science Executive, BioAro Group
Joel A. You are fantastic, energetic student with a bright future ahead of you. Thank you for showing the incredible knowledge in longevity science you already hold at such a young age at our Precision Health and Longevity Summit.
CEO & Founder, NexCerebrum Brain Health & Longevity
Your unwavering support and willingness to use your gifts and abilities have been a blessing to our community, helped strengthened the mission and ministry of our parish, and embody the spirit of service and fellowship.
Pastor, Ascension Catholic Parish
Community leadership and clinical advisory endorsement currently in preparation for upload.
Coming soon
Writing published under Joel’s name.
A technical analysis of RefleXion’s biology-guided radiotherapy system at Stanford Medicine, written for a general engineering audience.
Read it ↗An article by Joel, who is also credited on the masthead as one of the paper’s reporters.
Read it ↗Joel’s first published article for the school paper.
Read it ↗School, university programs completed outside it, and the one thing on this page that has nothing to do with engineering.
A charter high school built around engineering and applied science, where every project on this site started.
See the honour roll →A selective, application-based program in quantum information science, run by Waterloo’s Institute for Quantum Computing.
See the certificate →A foundations course in applied artificial intelligence, completed alongside the OncoSense build.
About ECO Canada ↗Graded piano study through the Royal Conservatory of Music, kept up alongside the engineering work.
See the certificate →
