Innovative Projects Realized

Modélisation des trajectoires de piétons à partir d’images captées par des caméras fixes de circulation

Ce projet vise à produire des simulations réalistes de comportements de piétons dans des environnements virtuels 3D. Dans ce genre d’environnements, qui peuvent être produits et visualisés par des moteurs graphiques tels que Unity et Unreel, les comportement de piétons peut être simulé et visualisé à travers des avatars. Dans ce projet, nous faisons l’hypothèse que les comportements des piétons peuvent être modélisés et reproduits dans des environnements simulés afin d’améliorer le niveau de réalisme du comportement des avatars. À cette fin, nous utiliserons les flux vidéo de caméras installées dans le réseau routier et appliquerons des algorithmes de poursuite visuelle afin de capturer les déplacements individuels de piétons. Les déplacements individuels seront par la suite utilisés comme trajectoires de démonstration, qui seront modélisées par des algorithmes d’apprentissage par renforcement afin de pouvoir les reproduire en simulation.

Imaging grain quality with AI

In order to define the quality of grain, Canada uses grain grades. Samples are taken to identify characteristics such as damage caused by insects, moisture, or temperature. Grain sampling is time-consuming and costly because it requires a person to take samples from grain flowing from an auger or combine at regular time intervals and deliver this to a lab for testing.

This project is part of our effort to advance the grain grading tools available to farmers and allow them to market their grains with confidence. The overall solution comprises several technology development initiatives that will be combined into a final product. Current research in machine vision tools show a high degree of effectiveness for the examining individual grain kernels.

Displaying the grain on a clear background or in an array has been repeatedly shown to differentiate types of grains, to identify specific wheat varieties, to count damaged kernels, and to identify quality factors like vitreousness. While effective in this environment, machine vision tools are challenged by the high throughput, in-field application that we require. In particular, machine vision struggles with identifying individual kernels when kernels are viewed in a mass.

Corrrélations et interdépendances des indicateurs de flux patients et de soins

Le projet sur la corrélation et sur l’inter-dépendance des indicateurs vise à accroitre la connaissance du CHUM dans l’inter-relation entre les principaux indicateurs de flux du patient et donc à anticiper les impacts d’un projet pour l’ensemble de l’organisation. Par exemple, lorsque j’améliore la durée de séjour de certaines catégories de patients dans une unité, est-ce que je génère des réhospitalisations ou des retours aux urgences ? A quelle hauteur ?

Intégration des sciences du sports et de la recherche académique dans l’amélioration des performances sportives en gymnastique. Une première application pour le trampoline.

Ce projet a pour objectif d’intégrer des technologies et de développer un réseau interdisciplinaire d’experts au sein de la Fédération de Gymnastique du Québec (FGQ) en collaboration avec l’Institut National du Sport (INS) afin d’améliorer le temps de vol chez les athlètes de haut niveau en Sports de Trampoline (STR) via une approche scientifique. Une recension des écrits et l’élaboration de protocoles utilisant différents outils technologiques tels que le DXA, les semelles de pression et l’ergomètre isocinétique permettront aux stagiaires, une fois la collecte et l’analyse de données effectuées, de proposer des interventions qui seront mis en application à l’aide des acteurs de l’INS et la formation des entraineurs de STR. Ces interventions mèneront les trampolinistes vers l’atteinte de leur plein potentiel et résultera en une meilleure représentation québécoise lors des compétitions internationales et un impact positif sur le plan économique du secteur STR.

Assistive Software for Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Angiography

Due to the unpredictable location of coronary artery bypass grafts (CABG), angiography for CABG patients costs catheterization labs additional time, poses an added risk to patients, and incurs extra costs, therefore using additional resources at Sunnybrook Hospital and at a national scale. The development of an assistive software product that helps cardiologists find free graft ostia in the aorta aims to combat this problem. By employing artificial intelligence, the location of bypass grafts can be predicted through software that helps guide cardiologists during the procedure. This solution will reduce the time required for CABG angiography procedures, reduce costs associated with treating CABG angiography patients and decrease the risk for CABG angiography patients at Sunnybrook Hospital.

Improving and scaling up cycling infrastructure under pandemic urbanism

In response to the present Covid-19 pandemic and the need to decarbonize the transport sector, city leaders and communities are rethinking past assumptions regarding transport planning and infrastructural development and have renewed interest in promoting cycling as a sustainable transport mode. Infrastructural interventions that improve safety and comfort and widen access to cycling are necessary to ‘mainstream’ cycling and make it more inclusive, but face difficulties in changing car-centric infrastructures and mobility behaviours. In order to understand the contested and contingent nature of this process of change, more attention is needed to the interplay of design, planning and policy-making decisions. With this aim, this research project compares the politics and practices of cycling infrastructure development in the Greater Manchester and Greater Toronto areas, which coincide in featuring contexts of entrenched motorization, currently deficient infrastructural conditions for cycling, and limited institutional and political capacity for effective change.

Novel Microbial Tools and Tactics for Cutworm Control in Wine Grapes

Andermatt Canada Inc. will partner with the Institute for Sustainable Horticulture (ISH) at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, NSERC and MITACS for a 3- year research project to explore the most efficacious and sustainable strategy for the management of winter climbing cutworms in vinegars in BC. Four promising categories of cool-adapted biocontrol tools will be employed to develop the management strategy for the complex of winter climbing cutworms in vineyards in the Okanagan Valley. Using a group of beneficial microorganisms with different modes of action to better control of winter climbing cutworms is novel and if successful, will contribute to replacing chemical insecticides with an environmentally safe alternative. Andermatt Canada plans to register the new bioinsecticide(s) in Canada and make it available to agricultural producers to manage climbing cutworms while lowering the cost of agricultural production, producing safer healthier crops, and protecting the environment. This research will ultimately assist the Canadian bioproducts producer to develop new, environmentally friendly pest management products for the Canadian market, become a leader in the Canadian bioinsecticide market, train
TBDs, new grads, and technicians, and contribute to the advancement of “green” technologies.

Is commercial mHealth app use linked with sustained physical activity? A 12-month quasi-experimental study

Using financial rewards (such as gift cards, free movies, etc.) has been shown to be effective in increasing physical activity levels in the short term (i.e., three months). However, there remains little evidence to support the use of financial rewards in changing behaviour in the long term (i.e., 12 months). This project will examine the long-term effects of using small financial rewards in a smartphone health application to increase daily steps and minutes of physical activity after a 3-month intervention (at 6 and 12 months). This research collaboration will result in the collection and analysis of a large data set examining changes in people from Leeds, UK. Additionally, the partner will benefit from the collaboration with assistance in app product and content development, in addition to evidence-based behavioural science app features to increase long-term behaviour change and app use/engagement.

Evaluating the mental, social, and physical benefits of recreation programming for older adults

Older adults (60+ years) are a growing population in Canada, and recreation provides a valuable opportunity to support and improve the health of older adults. Community recreation centres develop and implement recreation opportunities for older adults, but do not have the tools to track the success of their programs. The purpose of this project is to co-develop an assessment tool for recreation delivery services to evaluate and track the effectiveness of their programs at supporting the mental, physical, and social health of their older adult participants. This will allow recreation delivery services to independently assess if their programs are achieving their intended goals, and modify them to better support the health and wellbeing of older adults.

Caractérisation et optimisation de la gestion des matières résiduelles de la localité de Radisson

La gestion des matières résiduelles est problématique dans les communautés nordiques éloignées au Québec. La localité de Radisson – la communauté allochtone la plus au nord du Québec – n’échappe pas à cette réalité. Située à proximité de la Baie-James et du complexe hydroélectrique La Grande, Radisson écope d’un volume important de résidus de construction et de déchets domestiques, malgré sa faible démographie. De nombreux défis de gestion des matières résiduelles, associés notamment au contexte géographique, démographique et politique ajoutent au bilan, résultant en une importante quantité de déchets dispersés dans la forêt boréale autour du dépotoir local. L’objectif principal de ce projet est donc de proposer un plan de gestion des matières résiduelles adapté à la localité de Radisson, pour corriger les erreurs du passé et aller de l’avant avec une gestion durable et écoresponsable des déchets.

Do viral infections cause queen failure?

Honey bee queens are the only reproductive female in a beehive – if a queen dies or is unable to lay eggs then the whole colony will slowly die. A queen’s lifetime reproductive capacity, or fecundity, is imperative for maintaining a strong, healthy colony, but declining queen quality is a growing concern among beekeepers. Beekeepers typically replace queens every one to two years but often do so without knowing whether it is needed or not. There are many possible causes of poor fecundity in queens, including infectious diseases. Evidence is mounting that queens are vulnerable to infections from pathogens such as deformed wing virus (DWV), sacbrood virus (SBV), and black queen cell virus (BQCV). We have previously shown that levels of virus in queens that are not themselves lethal still lead to poor fecundity. Here, we will investigate short-term (in the laboratory) and long-term (in the field) effects of experimental virus infections on queen performance to determine if there is a link between infection and queen quality.

Technical viability of hydrogen gas storage in cased wells

The production of green hydrogen can alleviate the heavy burden of greenhouse gas emissions and allow the decarbonization of the industrial and transportation sectors. However, this energy carrier requires safe and economical storage solutions. An alternative and yet relatively underexplored solution is the storage of hydrogen gas (H2) in cased wells. For Quebec to become a leader in the field of hydrogen, Hydro-Quebec wishes to quickly implement a pilot project on its Varennes site to test this technology. The objective of the internship is to characterize the thermal and hydraulic properties of the Hydro-Quebec site and to develop numerical models to estimate the pressure and temperature parameters in the storage infrastructure. A good knowledge of these parameters is essential to minimize costs and ensure the safety of the infrastructure. Thus, the intern will also
leverage artificial intelligence for optimization purpose