Projets novateurs réalisés

Research and Development to Enhance Data Collection Functionality, Usability, and Outreach For An Educational Survey Platform

Xello is a leading college and career readiness platform designed to engage K-12 students in career exploration, academic planning, and skills development. It provides educators with data-driven insights to support student success, helping school districts make informed decisions.
Xello is looking to enhance its survey platform to improve their means of data collection, enhance the way the data can be visualized and interpreted by the educator, as well as supporting high concurrency access and the exporting of large datasets in a fast and reliable manner without performance issues. Xello believes that their data collection framework can be expanded as well as the efficiency and seamlessness of their exporting tool to further improve their educational platform. This is the case as efficient data collection is an important tool for helping educators better tailor their current and future curriculum to their students which would lead to an optimal experience for both the student and educator. Xello aims to collaborate with the WIMTACH team to develop these expanded survey tools such as student activity and data integration, survey reporting upgrades, and alumni surveys.
All in all, the development of the improved survey tools/data collection framework would benefit both the students and educators of their platform by allowing the educators to visualize and seamlessly export important insights provided by the students to better improve their curriculum, and it would allow the students to receive more optimal curriculum that is tailored to them based on the insights provided.

Quantum network sensor for speed tracking

The advance of sensors can have important impacts to our lives, ranging from developing safer self-driving cars to more precise medical imaging. Quantum properties like entanglement can dramatically improve the sensitivity of sensors. This project will study a new type of quantum sensing that aims to track speed. A new design will be considered that involves a spatially distributed quantum sensor network to detect the signal generated by a traveling object. The efficacy of this unexplored scheme will be verified through obtaining the optimal quantum control and understanding the role of entanglement. This Globalink internship will be a pilot project of this direction of research. A PhD student from Simon Fraser University will conduct 3-month internship at Chuo University to model the sensing scenario, and analyze the performance of many-body quantum sensors. The intern will learn analytical and numerical techniques that are valuable assets for quantum industries in Canada. The results will also lay the foundation of quantum speed sensing, facilitate collaboration and joint grant application between Profs. Lau and Matsuzaki.

G-BSIEM-PQC: Hybrid Consensus Architecture for Quantum-Resistant Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)

The G-BSIEM-PQC project is a pioneering cybersecurity initiative designed to fortify enterprise Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems against the existential threats posed by the post-quantum era. As quantum computing capabilities advance, the traditional cryptographic algorithms currently protecting critical infrastructure are becoming vulnerable to “harvest now, decrypt later” attacks. This research addresses this urgent vulnerability by developing a hybrid, quantum-resistant SIEM architecture that integrates the newly standardized NIST Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) algorithms – specifically ML-KEM-512 for secure key encapsulation and ML-DSA-44 for tamper-proof digital signatures. These advanced cryptographic primitives are synthesized with robust distributed consensus protocols, utilizing Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance (PBFT) to ensure the integrity of critical event logs and RAFT for the high-availability replication of media streams. Developed using the memory-safe Rust programming language to minimize software vulnerabilities, the G-BSIEM-PQC system provides a scalable, standards-compliant blueprint for securing Canadian enterprise networks and data sovereignty in a quantum-enabled future.

Enhancing Sawmill Residue Utilization Through Mobile Biochar Production

This project will demonstrate on-site biochar production from sawmill residues at Patterson Sawmill (Hay River, NWT) using Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s mobile kiln. The mobile system avoids high transport and capital costs associated with stationary facilities and can process diverse residue types directly on-site, offering a practical solution for sustainable management of waste biomass at northern sawmills.
Patterson Sawmill in Hay River, Northwest Territories, produces substantial volumes of sawmill residues that have limited local disposal or value-added options. Transporting these materials is costly, and open-burning remains a common practice, resulting in lost revenue potential and avoidable emissions. Reclaimit Ltd., a northern reclamation and resource-management consulting firm, is working with the mill to identify practical ways to convert these residues into higher-value products while improving environmental outcomes.
This project will demonstrate that mobile biochar kilns are a cost-effective, flexible solution for increasing the sustainability of remote sawmill operations and diversifying their income. Unlike stationary biochar systems – which require high capital investment and consistent feedstock supply – mobile kilns can be deployed directly at the location of the material and can process diverse residue types. However, to support adoption of the technology, operational data, performance benchmarks, and hands-on experience are needed to ensure effective and efficient implementation for best results.

Agrilo and Agrilo-VR: Field Validation and Real-World Deployment of AI-Driven Soil and Nutrient Sensing Systems in Kenya

Healthy soil is crucial for global food security, yet farmers face declining fertility, nutrient depletion, and rising fertilizer costs. These challenges are particularly pressing for smallholder farmers in Kenya, where timely soil information is limited. This project connects researchers from Canada and Kenya to advance Agrilo, a real-time soil nutrient sensing system, and Agrilo-VR, an immersive virtual reality platform for environmental education.

Agrilo’s portable, low-cost sensors measure essential soil indicators—including nitrate, phosphate, potassium, pH, boron, sulfur, CEC, NOM, magnesium, manganese, iron, and calcium—with near-laboratory accuracy. These data help farmers optimize fertilizer application, reduce nutrient runoff, and improve crop performance. Field validation will take place across Kenya’s diverse agricultural landscapes, allowing for assessment under real farming conditions.
A student intern will travel to Kenya to support field validation, collect soil datasets, and assist with the deployment and testing of Agrilo-VR in schools, training centres, and conservation programs. Agrilo-VR will transform real soil and ecological data into interactive learning environments that make environmental science accessible and engaging.

By integrating sensing technology, AI-driven analytics, and VR-based education, this project promotes climate-smart agriculture, strengthens international collaboration, and expands access to sustainable soil management tools across both partner regions.

L2M – Expert Validation of IPPM Now and Assembly of a Smart Trap Prototype

This project will help Insect Track Solutions improve and validate IPPM Now, a digital tool designed to make insect monitoring easier and more accurate for farmers, agronomists, and researchers. Today, insect data is collected in many different ways, making it hard to compare results or make fast decisions. The project will work with expert users to test the app, improve its accuracy, and ensure the information it collects is useful for real field conditions. At the same time, the team will assemble the first smart trap prototype that automatically detects insects and sends data to the platform. By the end of the project, Insect Track Solutions will have a validated app, a functional smart-trap prototype, and a basic data flow between the device and the platform, important steps that bring the company much closer to commercial readiness and support better integrated pest management across the Prairies.

Development of a Novel Dicalcium Phosphate Cement-Based Construct [Brushite-Shell/Monetite-Core] for Controlled Degradation and Drug Release in Craniofacial Defect Repair Surgery

Craniofacial and maxillofacial reconstruction is often limited by insufficient autologous bone and the shortcomings of current graft alternatives, which can degrade unevenly, bond poorly, or fail to support vascular growth. These issues are especially critical in cases of trauma, congenital defects, or cancer-related bone loss, where reliable, bioresorbable grafts are essential. This project evaluates and adapts Brushite-Shell/Monetite-Core calcium phosphate scaffolds for craniofacial, maxillofacial, and reconstructive surgery. Brushite (CaHPO4·2H2O) transforms into a more stable phase, slowing resorption, while monetite (CaHPO4) degrades faster, supporting early bone regeneration. Combining them enables controlled resorption and improved integration, and the monetite core can also be modified to deliver natural growth factors that promote bone and vessel formation. The aim of this project is to determine where this hybrid material provides the greatest clinical benefit and what design adaptations are needed for surgical use. The collaboration between Dalhousie University and the University of Illinois Health connects biomaterial innovation with clinical translation; Dalhousie focusing on material design, fabrication, and testing, and Illinois advancing understanding of clinical needs and real-world applications. This partnership will strengthen research collaboration, promote knowledge exchange, and support the development of safer, more effective bone grafts to improve outcomes in craniofacial and maxillofacial reconstruction.

QV Studio – Validate 2026 – Keroles

Canadians are paying for the climate crisis with the money, with their homes and with their lives. Fortunately, we have many transformatives technologies that can help mitigate this crisis. However, these technolgies are not as widely deployed as needed in part because they use very expensive materials, that are often also critical minerals that are scarce. As such, we need to get the most “juice” out of the scarce critical minerals used, and also do that at a financially viable way. O Nanotech is a nanomaterial supplier that provides such critical minerals in the quantum regime (particles that are typically under 5 nm). The performance of these critical minerals can be greatly enhanced when they are in the quantum regime, and therefore using such quantum dots can maximize the benefit obtained from the scarce critical minerals. However, quantum dots in the market are prohibitively expensive at 10s of thousands of dollars per gram. We have developed a recipe to use flame synthesis to scalably produce those quantum dots at 1-2 orders of magnitude lower costs. This project aims to validate the market, as well as benchmark the performance of those quantum dots in key climate technologies.

Real-Time Dense Deformation Field Estimation of Brain Tissue from Surgical Microscope Video

The proposed project aims to develop and validate a computational method for estimating how brain tissue moves and reacts to surgical tools using only videos captured from a microscope. The student will test both classical and modern deep-learning optical-flow algorithms, adapt them to the specific challenges of microscope imaging, and evaluate how well they can capture small, localized tissue deformations. Controlled experiments on ex-vivo bovine brain specimens will be conducted to collect synchronized videos and ground-truth force measurements, allowing the team to assess the accuracy and reliability of the force-estimation model under realistic surgical conditions. The outcome of this work will be a validated pipeline that can estimate tissue forces without external sensors, enabling more objective, real-time assessment of surgical performance. This project will benefit the participating institutions by advancing low-cost, AI-driven tools for surgical simulation, strengthening collaborative research in medical image analysis, and creating new opportunities for training, knowledge transfer, and future joint publications.

Advanced Nutrient Delivery Using Micronized Biochar and Recovered Phosphorus in Digestate Upgrading

Ryzome Environmental Corporation is transforming the way farms and greenhouses feed their crops. By recovering powerful nutrients and minerals from local waste streams, Ryzome is building a new generation of regenerative, greenhouse-ready fertilizers that help growers boost yields, strengthen plant health, and improve nutrient density. These products support healthier soils, reduce pest and disease pressure, and give farmers a reliable alternative to imported chemical fertilizers. This project advances Ryzome’s mission to create clean, consistent, waste-derived nutrients that make Canadian food production more resilient, sustainable, and future-ready. Ryzome is proving that the future of farming can be both productive and regenerative.

Climate Action through Community Hubs

This community-based research project will partner with Toronto Environmental Alliance (TEA) to identify how place-based community hubs – such as community centres, neighbourhood organizations, and frontline service non-profits – can catalyze equitable climate action. This project will help us understand how to address climate change equitably. Research has shown that climate action to date has tended to reinforce inequalities rather than ameliorate them. We therefore need to better understand how to scale up community-led climate action that benefits marginalized communities. Community hubs are perfectly positioned to address this gap. Every week, community hubs support hundreds of thousands of people across Canada, offering vital programs and services for children, youth, seniors, refugees, and economically marginalized residents. This research seeks to understand how climate action is being integrated into the programming of a wide range of community hubs across Canada and how, by leveraging their deep local connections, hubs can empower diverse communities to lead and benefit from the transition to a resilient and net-zero future.

L2M – BEsTech

This project will explore and test the idea of BEsTech, a platform that helps companies find the right additive manufacturing (3D printing) services, materials, and experts faster and without relying on middle agents. Instead of building full software, the project will study real industry needs, test simple prototypes, and learn how people would use and pay for this type of service. The findings will help the partner organization better understand how Canadian companies choose AM suppliers, what problems slow them down, and what features a useful platform should include. This will support the partner’s goal of improving access to advanced manufacturing in Canada and guide future commercialization opportunities.