This project with Koolhaus Games, an electronic game developer, aims to use state-of-the-art natural language processing technology as part of a novel and innovative social networking and social gaming engine. Social networking games are popular, particularly among children, and the team hopes to use natural language processing technology to provide a transparent, multi-lingual interface for […]

The David Suzuki Foundation, a science-based Canadian environmental organization, and an intern from the University of Alberta will analyze data on sea lice and Pacific salmon population dynamics using mathematical and statistical techniques. The project will have three components: (1) evaluate how well current management actions work to protect wild juvenile salmon from sea lice […]

Kintama Research Corporation is the developer of the Pacific Ocean Shelf Tracking (POST) acoustic tracking array, which monitors the continental shelf and major river systems in the west coast of North America. This array provides measurements on the marine movements and survival of Pacific salmon and other fish. Kintama is interested in the design of […]

In “shared control” of a machine, a user works cooperatively with an intelligent system to continuously direct or steer the machine’s operation. In this project with Spark Robotics Technology Inc., a provider of products and services for the defense and security industry, the research team will apply this concept to the problem of navigating or […]

Although the existence of deep-sea coral reefs has been known for centuries, it is only in the last decade that interest and understanding of these ecosystems have increased. There is a growing concern about the diversity and magnitude of anthropogenic (human) threats to these fragile habitats. Bottom trawling poses by far the largest threat. These […]

Vancouver City Savings Credit Union (Vancity) and its subsidiary, Citizens Bank of Canada, is looking to improve its current commercial mortgage risk rating systems to better predict the default possibility of commercial mortgage loan customers. In this project, the intern will begin with familiarizing herself with the principles, processes and operation of the existing rating […]

In this project, a comprehensive review of relevant literature and case studies regarding landfarming of oily sludge will be conducted, and the optimal landfarming operation strategies will be proposed. A number of field experiments will be implemented to examine the impacts of different environmental factors on microbial activity. Specifically, the impacts of bulking agents and […]

There are certain features of skin lesions or moles that are indicative of cancer. Texture (spatial variation of colour/intensity) or patterns is known to be one of these features. This research seeks to quantify this textural information in order to improve the performance of methods to automatically diagnose melanoma. Currently, dermatologists are very proficient at […]

This project involves working with Translink – the Greater Vancouver transit authority, covering buses, skytrain, seabus, trains, and ferries – to conduct initial research to examine the viability of an automated public bicycle system similar in scale and design to systems recently initiated in Paris, Lyon and Oslo. Current understandings of these models, combined with […]

The project with the Canadian Federation of the Blind, an organization working to establish positive and productive roles for blind people in Canada, will include the researching, development and implementation of a mixed-methods survey providing accurate statistics on the employment of blind people in the Greater Victoria area and narratives on their experiences in seeking […]

Underground pre-concentration is an efficient stage in reducing the cost of mining operations. During this operation, extracted rocks are monitored underground and most of the waste rock is rejected while the ore is kept. In this project, image processing and pattern recognition algorithms will be employed to characterize different types of ores as well as […]

Evidence-based research has provided a body of evidence which links improved patient outcomes with building features such as courtyards, views of nature and access to daylight. While the quantitative data produced by such studies makes a strong case to decision-makers for the inclusion of such features into healthcare facilities, the design of healing environments requires […]