Expanding Human Touch Through Teleoperation

"Impact comes not just from what we build, but who we enable."

David Black pitching his research at an Innovation UBC event
David pitching his research at an Innovation UBC event

David Black

David Black is the recipient of the 2026 Governor General's Gold Medal (PhD). UBC awards one Governor General’s Gold Medal annually to the student who has achieved the most outstanding academic record as a doctoral student.

David Black receiving the Governor General's Gold Medal Award on stage

I’m David Black, a PhD graduate in Electrical and Computer Engineering, working on medical robotics and mixed reality, with a focus on teleoperation and human-computer interaction. My PhD research and current work have revolved around a novel method of precisely guiding people’s motions remotely through a combination of mixed reality, haptics, and high-speed communication. The approach works well enough that the control of the person can be treated analogously to robotic teleoperation, and we can help novice people complete very skilled tasks. In particular, we have been using this system to perform medical ultrasound exams remotely. 

This has the potential to solve one of the biggest challenges facing Canada and many other countries today: healthcare access in remote and Indigenous communities.

I am originally from Germany and I have spent much of my life in Vancouver, so I have always been extremely fortunate with healthcare access. However, as an avid skier, paragliding pilot, and mountaineer, I have experienced what it is like not to have medical help when you need it in remote areas. The potential to help improve the lives of countless people through better healthcare is what motivates all my work.

David Black trail running in the coast mountains
David trail running in the Coast Mountains

Why did you choose your ECE at UBC?

I have a bachelor’s in engineering physics from UBC that taught me mechatronics engineering but also instilled a deep interest in the fundamental math and physics research underlying the engineering. At the same time, I am driven by human impact – being able to help others with research in medical applications inspires me and guides all the work I do. I was very lucky during my undergrad to spend a co-op semester with Professor Tim Salcudean, working on surgical robotics. Prior to this year, the province of BC had one single da Vinci surgical robot, at Vancouver General Hospital, but Dr. Salcudean’s lab has three. He has long been a leader in the field and is a brilliant engineer, so when I finished my bachelor's degree and wanted to pursue research, the choice was easy. Staying at UBC also let me feed my love for the local mountains, which are an endlessly beautiful playground.

How are you applying the skills you learned through your studies at UBC?

When I started my PhD, I was a good student who could learn quickly but was lacking in confidence and assiduously shied away from direct leadership or public speaking. My goal in doing a PhD was to become an expert in a specific topic. Instead, I have gained far more useful skills. I have led the human teleoperation project since its inception, had to present, demo, and pitch it at countless occasions, and was supervising at least one student at any time throughout my PhD. Towards the end, I was leading a team of seven graduate students, plus undergraduate co-op students, capstone teams, and more. Through these experiences, I have become more confident in leadership, public speaking, and project management than I ever would have imagined. I think that is the true value of a PhD – carrying out and especially leading a project to a depth and with a freedom that is not possible anywhere else.

David Black demoing his technology
David demoing his research technology to a BC government minister

Who or what has made your time at UBC memorable?

My PhD supervisor, Prof. Tim Salcudean, was pivotal in making my PhD a success academically, but also a hugely edifying experience personally. He gave me freedom to explore research directions, provided insight, guidance, feedback, and encouragement at every turn, pushed me out of my comfort zone to supervise students and make numerous presentations, and was immensely supportive professionally and personally. Tim’s connections and willingness to share them have opened many doors, and he has given me countless opportunities to attend conferences internationally, complete courses at other universities, do internships, and more. I think having a good supervisor is one of the most important aspects of a PhD, and I could not have been luckier.

Another highlight was having my lab one floor below my now-wife's lab and discussing our research over walks around UBC's beautiful campus.

What advice would you give a student entering ECE for their PhD?

There’s a saying that PhDs are great because of how much freedom you are afforded – you do have to work 18 hours a day, but you are completely free to choose which 18 hours of the day. Although it is just a joke, I think this does highlight some important aspects of doing a doctorate. For one, no matter how busy you feel, it is unlikely that you will ever have the same freedom again in your career – you should take advantage of this to pursue your other passions: go skiing on that Tuesday powder day, join that club, or do personal research or projects in parallel. And then work on the weekend instead. In these cases, it will always feel like you have no time, so it is important to make time. On the other hand, the productivity of your PhD depends almost entirely on your focus and effort, so doing 9-5, Monday to Friday is not enough. Finding a balance between hard work and still having a life on the side to keep me sane has been key for me.

David Black paragliding above Pemberton
Paragliding above Pemberton

How did your studies in the Faculty of Applied Science prepare you for the future of work?

The landscape has changed fundamentally during my PhD, which started during the COVID-19 pandemic and ended with what one might call the AI pandemic. I feel fortunate to have my engineering physics undergrad and ECE PhD, which have given me a broad enough skillset to remain nimble and adaptable, as well as a creative problem-solving mindset, project management experience, and analytical skills that AI cannot replace. As big companies push more and more for AI-powered robots to replace humans in so many aspects of life, I am more motivated than ever to focus on the human aspects of my work. Technology should foster connections and empower people, and the best results are achieved through effective human-technology interaction. This belief is core in my work on guiding people remotely rather than trying to replace them with robots. UBC APSC has been formative for me in developing these skills and values.

What is next for you?

My goal is to lead an impact-focused medical tech company that stays Canadian and is tightly integrated with the research community in Vancouver. I am currently taking the first steps on this path through Innovation UBC’s entrepreneurship programs, through which we are seeking to commercialize my research so it can truly have a clinical impact. At the same time, I am carrying out postdoctoral research in a related field, supervising students and getting involved with organizing international academic conferences.

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