In many cities, fleet operators are evaluating the potential environmental benefits of replacing gasoline-fuelled vehicles by alternative vehicles, particularly electric vehicles. In this process, reductions in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions can be achieved. In this project, the company HDR proposes to partner with the Transportation and Air Quality (TRAQ) research group at the University of Toronto to develop the HDR Zero+ fleet energy simulation tool.

Plant pathogens, including bacteria, can damage plants and cause significant crop losses. Among those Pseudomonas syringae is a major pathogen of tomato plants. It is now accepted that domesticated plant crops are often more sensitive to pathogens than their wild relatives. We aim to exploit a library of pathogens virulence factors to find new bacterial gene that trigger an immune response. Then we will use a targeted approach to sequence wild tomato resistance genes.

Powder Metallurgy (PM) and Metal Additive Manufacturing (Metal AM) are sets of processes to produce net-shape or near-net-shape metal parts from metal powders, and so they offer material and energy saving. These processes, however, require powders of strict specifications like particle size distribution and shape. Water Atomization (WA) of a molten metal is a cost-effective approach to producing metal powders. With the advances in PM and Metal AM, water atomization also needs to be enhanced to produce higher quality powders.

This project is to purpose to use computer vision to identify the various error types during the operation of 3D printers to boost their throughput and enhance their application in the manufacturing industry. Nevertheless, due to the lack of precision and controllability inside the printers, engineers cannot achieve a reliable printing process and acceptable quality of final 3D printing products. In this research, a monitoring system equipped with computer vision is proposed to address this challenge.

Groundswell, a Toronto-based design consultancy, is seeking to understand, study and experiment with new non-hierarchical organization structures. In partnership with UofT’s Business Design Initiative research team, they will investigate and experiment with the redesign of for-purpose and value-driven organizations to better respond to today’s economic climate described as volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous or VUCA.

Drone Delivery Canada (DDC) designs and operates high performance Remotely Piloted Aerial Systems (RPAS) to deliver payloads between depots and warehouses. Safety and quality assurance (QA) play an integral role in assuring that drone technology is accepted by the public, consumers, and the Canadian government. The demand for more advanced testing on both the drone hardware and software must be thoroughly carried out to achieve such acceptance. The proposed research project focuses on meeting this demand by investigating both the physical safety and control system quality of the drone.

Kids with one, two or three or more disabilities require special care and rehabilitation services. Specifically, for children with severe disabilities who are non-speaking, the opportunities for social interaction and participation are often limited. However, it is believed that these children continue to form relationships with those around them and that the brain encodes these interpersonal connections. One way to study these interpersonal brain connections is to examine the interbrain coordination between children, parents and a therapist.

The Laurentian Great Lakes and many Canadian inland waters have experienced a resurgence of cyanobacteria-dominated harmful algal blooms (cHABs), which negatively impact recreational uses, aesthetics, taste and odor in drinking water. The presence of toxins can also have dire repercussions on aquatic wildlife and human health. The factors that influence the occurrence and magnitude of algal blooms and toxin production (e.g., nutrient enrichment, climate change) vary in space and time and are poorly understood.

COVID-19 is a global pandemic with no effective therapeutic and preventive agents. Given the high infectivity of the SARS-CoV-2 and severity of the disease, vaccines are urgently needed to tackle the infection of this novel coronavirus. Thus far, various types of vaccine candidates, in different stages of preclinical testing and clinical trials, are being explored, including RNA- and DNA-based, vectored and attenuated virus, and recombinant proteins. However, possible adverse effects and limitations exist.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common liver disorders worldwide. NAFLD could lead to end-stage liver disease and considered as one of the most common causes of liver transplantation. Moreover, a large number of liver transplant recipients develop NAFLD after transplantation due to side effects of the medications that they have to use to keep their new liver healthy. Although liver biopsy has been used for a long time to evaluate the liver condition it is associated with a risk of bleeding and other side effects.