In warm climates, warm temperatures cause thermal stratification in hydropower reservoirs inhibiting mixing and leading to deoxygenation of waters at depth (hypolimnium). Turbines withdrawing water at depth result in low dissolved oxygen (DO) in the downstream flow having a large negative impact on the downstream riverine ecosystem. Legislation in the USA and elsewhere now requires hydropower operators to guarantee meeting minimum DO limits in downstream flows.

Sensoreal’s patented technology allows them to perform complicated laboratory health testing procedures on a plastic microchip the same size as a credit card. The testing is done through the use of passive microfluidics, in much the same way as trees transport water to their leaves. A blood sample is placed in the loading port of the microchip and allowed to pass through the different regions of the device. Doing so reproduces the procedures that a blood sample would go through when tested in a laboratory, however the whole process takes place in only 30 minutes.

In this project we address the problem of power consumption for wireless sensor nodes. This is where among different components of a sensor, RF transceivers consume a significant amount of power e.g. approximately 80%. Hence the main objective is this project is to tackle the power consumption problem at the RF transmitter, where we aim to reduce the power consumption to micro-watts of power, with minimal sacrifice in achievable data rate and by keeping the connectivity range within an acceptable radius.

The intern will support the Canadian Bobsleigh Team in its efforts to reduce ice friction between a bobsleigh and the race track. Therefore, a numerical heat transfer model will be developed, and novel procedures to attain the smoothest possible runner surfaces will be researched. Furthermore, we will apply concepts underlying lubrication theory to runner surfaces bycombining hard and soft coatings through micromachining. All these efforts will result in a better understanding for the variables that are most relevant to ice friction in the context of international bobsleigh competitions.

Critical systems such as transportation systems require a high level of safety that can only be achieved with formal proof. Such formal proofs are typically expressed in some logic that can be verified by theorem provers. The diversity of theorem provers and logics has a negative consequence: the same theorem is proved many times and it is difficult for these systems to co-operate, because they do not implement the same logic. Logical frameworks are a class of theorem provers that overcome this issue by providing a generic framework in which we can represent and specify various logics.

The first step for any robot to achieve true autonomy is to create a map of its surroundings and localize itself within this map at the same time. This is popularly known as the Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) problem. Although much theory has been developed over the years to solve the SLAM problem, researchers have been having difficulties in real-world application. This is because sensors and actuators onboard a robot are always corrupted by noise. In particular, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) face additional difficulties that land vehicles do not.

Most of the available toothpastes are designed to manage tooth decay. Older individuals, however, suffer from gum diseases that caused by accumulation of plaque and tartar on teeth or implants.
The most common way of cleaning the teeth is with a brush and toothpaste. However, even though major companies offer a wide range of products to manage gum disease, they all have limitations when it comes to removal of tartar and cleaning dental implants.

To develop ‘green’ cities and to assess environmental impacts in cities, it is essential to understand the spatial distribution of sensitive species, such as migrating birds. Migration is a costly and dangerous time for songbirds, with up to 80% mortality during their first migration. As migratory birds are protected under the federal Migratory Bird Act, there is a need to better understand how we can best protect migratory birds and their critical habitats and stopover sites.