Innovative Projects Realized

Development of Conversational Agents and Applications in Playful Environments

In this project I will be making a talking, artificial intelligence prototype that provides meaningful, playful exchanges in different interactive settings. By taking advantage of the latest advances in machine learning and creating a model founded on knowledge from social and cognitive sciences, I will build a series of digital avatars to test how they interact with users. This research-creation project connects to other disciplines like Human Computer Interactions (HCI). In this field, human behaviour is partly studied by how people process feedback from different technologies such as the internet, social media, and mobile applications. I aim to improve the development process of conversational AI agents, which will in turn help make new knowledge for digital arts.

Conception du référentiel des pratiques éducatives des Universités Populaires Quart Monde

Entre la formation générale et la formation professionnelle, comment imaginer une éducation à la citoyenneté, à l’appropriation des savoirs pour et par les citoyens? Depuis plus de 60 ans au Québec et dans le monde, les mouvements d’éducation populaire ont expérimenté et construit des pratiques éducatives sans instructeur, sans institution et sans manuel, en croisant les savoirs académiques aux savoirs de vie, et surtout en partant de l’expérience et de la pensée des personnes. Pourtant ces pratiques sont peu documentées, peu connues et peu reconnues. Le but du projet de recherche est de concevoir, avec ceux qui les font, un référentiel de ces pratiques, en partant des animations des universités populaires du mouvement ATD Quart Monde. À travers une analyse des archives, l’observation de ces pratiques telles qu’elles se font et des entretiens avec leurs animateurs, la recherche permettra de les évaluer et d’en dégager les éléments fondamentaux.

Water Protection and Participatory Film Making: Empowering connections among intercultural groups, Indigenous youth, water, culture, tradition, and technology

The shared goal of researching how filmmaking can be an effective tool in contributing to water protection efforts, and in promoting safe water access for Indigenous communities, has brought together groups from different cultures, sectors, and countries (Canada and Australia). This internship, with the industry partner River Voices Productions will allow the intern to conduct interviews (with individuals and groups) to produce an academic article focused on best practices in innovative research methodologies like filmmaking with groups.

More specifically, during the interviews (to be conducted online because of COVID-19), the intern will show film footage gathered from previous research activities that were conducted in 2019 with a group of Indigenous youth from Northern Quebec. Highlights will include clips from: a 10-day cultural canoe expedition, a trip to Australia to meet Indigenous communities there, visits to a hydro-electric dam and a desalination plant, participating in water testing and water ceremonies, as well as learning about traditional stories and water policy making.

The research interviews will relate to innovative research practices like film making that maximize sharing research knowledge in adaptive and novel ways; findings from this work will be disseminated in an academic publication.

Solving the integration problem for loyalty programs

Paying with a mobile phone within brick and mortar retailers is becoming increasingly popular, as it adds convenience as well as security to the payment process. Many retailers that use interac terminals with tap technology allow mobile phone payments in this way but are unable to integrate loyalty points into the mobile payment process. This is called the mobile loyalty payment integration problem, as most retailers who offer loyalty programs, have to scan the mobile loyalty application but are unable to have the process take place while the consumer is paying with the purchase through the mobile application. This issue can potentially be solved through could based technology, which would allow the mobile phone user to collect rewards while simply using the tap technology on the interac payment terminal, while paying for their purchase.

Modélisation de postures dynamiques et de l’aspect temporel en vue d’une intégration dans le produit logiciel Ergonomic Workplace Designer (EWD)

Ce projet vise à produire des connaissances et méthodes nouvelles en biomécanique et en ergonomie occupationnelle qui vont permettre d’augmenter les capacités du logiciel Ergonomic Workplace Designer (EWD), dont une première version sera mise en marché par Dassault systèmes au cours de l’année 2021. Ce logiciel d’ergonomie virtuelle est destiné aux concepteurs de systèmes de production de biens. Plus spécifiquement, il vise à les aider à améliorer les aspects d’ergonomie des postes de travail qu’ils conçoivent dans un environnement virtuel. La retombée visée par ces travaux est d’une part, de réduire les risques de lésions professionnelles pour les travailleurs futurs qui utiliseront ces postes de travail et d’autre part, d’améliorer la productivité. Une autre retombée vise à permettre à Dassault Systèmes de consolider sa position de leader sur le marché des produits logiciels de conception virtuelle et de simulation.

Automated real-time pathogen detection unit demonstration

The intern will demonstrate the automated real time pathogen detection unit, Kraken, in close to field conditions. The unit will be installed in a controlled environment in order to develop and validate the control system operations of the unit. The unit will be assembled, installed, electrically connected and attached to the fluid source that can be used to mimic green house and industrial food processing operations. The unit will be put through a range of operating conditions, including variable sampling rate, regular cartridge changes with different number of sensors, and different concentration, sampling and cleaning regimes. Once validated in the controlled setup the unit may be moved to a green-house like space to further test the unit in the environment more closely matching the one that will be encountered in the field.

GeoDetox: proof of concept of geopolymers from bauxite residues to make adsorbents for pollutants

To help reduce the polluting impacts of aluminum production, this project investigates a use of a landfill-bound waste material called bauxite residue. This by-product is produced in large volumes globally but has no well-defined reuse or recycling application. The objective of this study is to develop a process to utilize this waste as a wastewater treatment technology. This will mitigate the polluting effects of bauxite residue disposal on Canadian soil while offering a new technology to combat municipal and industrial wastewater pollution. Due to the massive scale of aluminum production globally, this project has the potential to have a significant environmental impact and create a new technological export to the world’s aluminum producers. This synergistic methodology of using one industry’s waste to pacify another’s is an example of a successful circular economy, which minimizes its own environmental impact.

Synchrotron Imaging of Ovaries Ex Situ

Conventional ultrasonography is limited in its ability to image small structures within the ovaries (eg. the eggs and surrounding cells, small fluid filled sacs that contain the eggs known as ‘early antral follicles’, the structure of the ovulation glands). Preliminary data obtained from our research team at the Canadian Light Source (CLS) have indicated that phase-contrast Computed Tomography (CT) synchrotron methods are effective for imaging bovine and human ovaries. Further research conducted by our group at the SPring-8 synchrotron facility in Japan has shown that phase-contrast CT imaging capabilities are significantly improved with the use of diffraction grating equipment. The objective of the proposed internship is to study the effectiveness of diffraction grating techniques for imaging bovine and human ovaries at the CLS.

Pairing Meteorological and Power Data for Marine Hybrid Electric Boats

Research will be conducted to determine the best way to visualize and operationalize electric and diesel engine performance data collected in real-time for vessel owners and operators. The boats involved in this research work are candidates for using hybrid electric/diesel drive. The methods of displaying data will be explored to determine the best way to visualize the interaction of the various data points in real time. The goal is to research the characteristics of a “fit-bit” for a vessel, tracking vessel performance and supplying feedback in real-time. Prior research has shown that feedback on the fuel use of a vessel in real time can cause a reduction in fuel use of 15%.

Exploring and Exploiting Circular Waste Synergies in the Guelph Agri-Food Eco-System

This research project is an innovative collaboration between the Guelph ‘Our Food Future’ Initiative and the Ivey Business School to advance the circular economy in agri-food sector in Canada. The project will apply Ivey’s unique research expertise in supply chains and operations management to engage with firms in Guelph agrifood ecosystem, identifying and mapping non-obvious ‘waste’ opportunities and helping firms to elevate their operational agility to source and process the waste of others into valuable products. The outcomes of this project directly contribute to the goals of the Our Food Future – especially the creation of 50 new circular businesses and collaborations are created and a 50% increase in circular economic revenues. More broadly, the project will make an important contribution to the reduction of food waste in Canada and the evolution of the circular economy.

Feasibility of Stabilizing Wastewater Biosolids Using Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) Technology

The proposed research to be undertaken is intended to assess the feasibility of using black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) to disinfect and stabilize wastewater biosolids. The project includes the determination of conditions to optimize performance of the BFSL and provide an on-site method of biosolids management for the Municipality of Colchester. If proven successful, the process could provide municipalities throughout the country with an alternative means to treat biosolids that could be less expensive and more environmentally responsible.

Étude de la gestion de la chaleur dans le régime transitoire dans une motoneige à l’aide de Star-CCM+

Le marché du sport motorisé étant en constante évolution, il est nécessaire aux entreprises qui en font partie d’innover continuellement. Pour ce faire, l’utilisation d’outils numériques est essentielle au développement et à l’itération rapide de prototypes. Deux des aspects cruciaux à maitriser, lors du développement de produits, sont la répartition de l’écoulement de l’air et la gestion de la chaleur, les deux étant étroitement reliés sous le terme « aérothermie ». Les conséquences d’une mauvaise aérothermie véhicule peuvent varier d’un inconfort pilote à la fonte de pièces ou même à des défaillances mécaniques importantes. Le but de ce projet consiste à étudier numériquement l’aérothermie d’une motoneige à l’arrêt lorsqu’elle est en train de se refroidir après utilisation, connu sous le terme « heat soak ». À la conclusion de ce projet, BRP sera en mesure de simuler le refroidissement d’une motoneige de façon précise, lui donnant ainsi un outil de plus dans le développement de ses produits dans ce marché concurrentiel.