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Okanagan College student Kaden Smith poses with award winning artificial skin prototype created for medical training (Image Credit: Photo supplied)
By Erika Rolling
Healthcare Innovation

Grande Prairie man part of award winning medical engineering project

Oct 7, 2026 | 2:32 PM

A student at Okanagan College, originally from Grande Prairie, has won a national award with his post-secondary classmates for engineering an artificial skin model to be used in medical training settings.

Mechanical Engineering Technology student Kaden Smith says his group’s hard work paid off after developing a cost-effective, reusable, realistic synthetic skin to practice procedures involving incisions.

The project was for the Kelowna General Hospital, as they were looking for a solution for their single-use cricothyrotomy training device that lacked realistic bleeding and was costly.

Smith says the skin, made out of ballistic gel poured into 3D-printed moulds, cost less than $5 to create and can be used multiple times by melting the gel in an oven and pouring it back into a mould.

“Our entire project was to lay the groundwork for something that could be used in hospitals across Canada.”

Smith says the group consulted with physicians, who noted the innovation solved many clinical training issues they were experiencing.

“There are plans to adapt it (project) onto their model, or make a separate model that they can practice on.”

He says one of his main contributions to the project came from troubleshooting the bleeding simulation.

“We were able to come up with a two-layered design where we could pump blood into the skin, and also have it come out (when wanted). We figured out a way to stick the two pieces (of artificial skin) together, and that was definitely one of the big moments when we first cut into it after figuring it out, and it had realistic bleeding.”

The innovation earned first place in the 2026 Technology Accreditation Canada Technology Report Contest. The contest received 19 submissions, with 14 passing through technical review to final judging.

“To be recognized in such a national competition was pretty special. We were all thrilled. It’s also kind of a testament to the faculty here in the program at Okanagan College.”

On Technology Accreditation Canada‘s website, it says judges praised the report’s thorough research, professional collaboration, and well-organized presentation, highlighting its strong design process and practical approach to testing.

The group also won $1,000 for the top designation, which Smith says is being split between him and the two other group members.

For Smith, he plans on continuing his studies at Okanagan College until May 2027.

by Erika Rolling