Innovative Projects Realized

Foundational Analysis for AI-Enhanced Knowledge Discovery in Musculoskeletal Research

Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions such as back pain and arthritis affect millions of Canadians and place a heavy burden on the healthcare system. Every year, thousands of new research studies are published on MSK health, but the sheer volume makes it hard for organizations to keep track of the latest findings. This project will explore how artificial intelligence (AI) can help by automatically collecting, summarizing, and organizing MSK research articles. The goal is not to build a finished system but to create a prototype that shows how AI can highlight key insights and trends in the literature. By working with the Canadian Chiropractic Research Foundation (CCRF), the project will provide early evidence on whether AI tools can make research more accessible and useful, supporting better decision-making in musculoskeletal care and research.

Luxury Transport Inc. – Operational Efficiency and Supply Chain Innovation Initiative

Luxury Transport Inc. is a leading provider of shuttle, charter, and private transportation services that connects passengers across the Lower Mainland and to Whistler. With a growing customer base, a diverse fleet, and variable seasonal demand, the company faces the challenge of maintaining high service reliability while controlling operational costs and ensuring efficient fleet utilization. As demand continues to increase, Luxury Transport is seeking to move beyond traditional scheduling and manual coordination methods toward a data-driven and technology-enabled operations model. Currently, dispatching, maintenance scheduling, and vendor procurement rely heavily on manual processes, resulting in duplicated efforts, delayed updates, and limited visibility into real-time performance metrics such as vehicle utilization, fuel efficiency, and supplier responsiveness.

ESSA Technologies Ltd. – Innovation in Administrative Systems: Streamlining Onboarding and Business Operations

ESSA Technologies Ltd. is an employee-owned Canadian environmental consulting company that combines science, systems thinking, and collaboration to address complex environmental challenges. With offices in Vancouver and Ottawa, ESSA supports clients across Canada and internationally through evidence-based decision-making, sustainability planning, and adaptive management solutions. As the company continues to expand its client base and internal teams, the growing volume of operational processes spanning business development, resource allocation, onboarding, and administrative coordination has created an opportunity to modernize and streamline internal business systems to sustain long-term organizational efficiency.

Marquis LLP – Digital Process Innovation in Public Accounting: Enhancing Workflow Efficiency

Marquis LLP is a public accounting firm based in Vancouver, BC, that provides a range of services including personal and corporate income tax returns, bookkeeping, payroll processing, and review engagements. While the firm has built a strong reputation for accuracy and personalized service, its growing client base and the increasing complexity of financial reporting requirements have created an opportunity to enhance internal processes and operational efficiency. The firm seeks to innovate by streamlining information management, tax preparation workflows, and bookkeeping procedures to better handle peak workload seasons particularly during tax season without compromising quality or client satisfaction. This project will allow Marquis LLP to analyze and improve the way financial data is compiled, organized, and processed, exploring opportunities to modernize workflows, strengthen accuracy in tax documentation, and identify potential process automation solutions. This initiative goes beyond day-to-day accounting work by focusing on the design and implementation of improved systems that increase efficiency and standardize best practices across staff levels. The intern will bring academic expertise in accounting principles, data organization, and technology-driven tools such as QuickBooks and tax software to support this improvement initiative, working collaboratively with senior CPAs and partners to identify and document new efficiencies that can be adopted firm-wide.

Préparation et caractérisation d’échantillons imprimés en 3D à base de polymères piézoélectriques

L’objectif du projet est de préparer et caractériser des échantillons de P(VDF-TrFE) (80-20) afin d’étudier l’influence des conditions de dépôt sur leurs propriétés fonctionnelles. Les films seront réalisés par spin-coating à partir de solutions polymériques homogènes préparées dans la méthyléthylcétone, filtrées puis déposées sur des substrats de silicium conducteurs. Les paramètres de dépôt (vitesse, concentration) et les traitements thermiques (recuit ou cycle fusion-cristallisation) seront optimisés pour obtenir des couches minces homogènes d’environ 100 nm.

Les échantillons seront ensuite caractérisés par microscopie à force atomique (AFM), notamment en PFM pour cartographier la réponse piézoélectrique locale et analyser l’orientation des domaines ferroélectriques, ainsi qu’en AFM-IR pour relier la structure chimique aux propriétés électromécaniques.

Enfin, une exploration de l’impression 3D par extrusion sera menée pour évaluer la faisabilité de la mise en forme du P(VDF-TrFE) en structures complexes adaptées aux capteurs. La comparaison entre films déposés et structures imprimées permettra d’identifier les conditions optimales de fabrication. Le projet vise ainsi à établir une corrélation entre la préparation, la structure et les performances fonctionnelles du matériau.

Système de commande avancée d’un robot pour aider à nourrir les personnes en pertes des fonctions motrices

Au Canada, une personne sur quatre aura plus de 65 ans d’ici 2030. Plusieurs aînés perdent progressivement leur capacité à s’alimenter de façon autonome en raison de troubles moteurs ou de maladies liées au vieillissement. Cette perte d’autonomie affecte profondément leur dignité et leur qualité de vie. Les systèmes robotiques d’assistance alimentaire existants coûtent souvent plus de 30 000 $, les rendant inaccessibles pour la majorité des familles canadiennes. Utilisant une seule caméra et des technologies d’intelligence artificielle de pointe, notre robot pourra reconnaître différents aliments (incluant les purées et textures molles difficiles à manipuler), comprendre les demandes exprimées en langage naturel comme « j’aimerais un peu de soupe », et naviguer de façon sécuritaire dans un environnement domestique encombré. Le système combinera trois innovations majeures : des modèles d’intelligence artificielle capables de « voir » et « comprendre » comme un humain, un système de localisation utilisant une caméra unique pour réduire les coûts, et une intégration intelligente de capteurs permettant au robot de s’adapter aux mouvements de l’utilisateur en temps réel.

Integrating saccade metrics into a wearable assistive device

This project will explore how eye movements can be used to improve assistive Augmented Reality (AR) devices for people with motor impairments. Many AR systems rely on head, hand, or body movements to make choices, but this is not always possible for individuals with limited mobility. However, eye movement is often preserved, making it a powerful way to both gather information and signal decisions. The challenge is that people use their eyes not just to choose, but also to look around and think, so systems must be able to tell the difference between exploring and deciding. The research will focus on identifying and testing features from eye movement patterns that can predict when a user has shifted from looking around to making a decision. These features will be combined with existing brain-signal (EEG) systems to create a more accurate and responsive decision-prediction tool. For the partner organization, this work will help advance the development of AR technologies that are easier and more natural to use, improving accessibility and independence for people with motor disabilities.

Amélioration des services publics de la Ville de Trois-Rivières

La Ville de Trois-Rivières, 9e plus populeuse du Québec avec 148?469 habitants, compte sur une équipe de 1?250 employés pour offrir des services publics de qualité à ses citoyens. La Direction des technologies de l’information (TI) joue un rôle stratégique en accompagnant l’administration municipale dans l’identification de ses besoins et l’atteinte de ses objectifs grâce à des solutions technologiques sécurisées et adaptées.

Le partenariat avec MITACS permet à la Ville de migrer vers des technologies avancées, notamment l’intelligence artificielle, via des projets de preuve de concept menés par des étudiants. Ces projets, souvent difficiles à réaliser en contexte opérationnel, sont rendus possibles grâce à un programme de parrainage interne, qui favorise l’intégration et le développement de la relève.

Les TI appuient l’ensemble des directions municipales dans divers domaines?: transport intelligent (déneigement, circulation, réseau cyclable), sécurité publique (police, incendie), taxation, évaluation foncière, aménagement du territoire et développement durable. Les systèmes d’information et géospatiaux sont au cœur de ces services essentiels.

Cependant, plusieurs initiatives innovantes restent en attente, faute de ressources. C’est pourquoi l’arrimage entre les stagiaires en TI du CÉGEP, les projets municipaux, et les employés expérimentés de la Ville permet depuis 5 ans de dynamiser l’innovation.

Supporting ageing in place in co-operative housing environments

The co-relation between key principles of co-op housing and the components of ageing in place may signify co-op housing as an optimal housing model to facilitate ageing in place. However, there is currently a gap in knowledge, with little literature on whether co-op housing has what is optimally required for older adults to age in place (McClatchey et al., 2025). Both CHF BC and the intern (an urban studies master’s student at Simon Fraser University) recognize this challenge/gap and would like to work towards better understanding it. The challenge questions posed are: how are older adults currently experiencing ageing in place in Metro Vancouver co-operative (co-ops) housing? During the ongoing Canadian housing crisis, how might co-ops best respond to the needs of members as they age? How might strategies differ when comparing older co-op buildings to the ones built more recently through the Community Land Trust?
Working together with Hey Neighbour Collective (HNC) and the Cooperative Housing Federation of BC, The intern would perform ‘walk-arounds’ of different (some older and some newer) co-op communities with older adult residents to better understand the perceptions of the social and built environments from the co-op residents perspective.

Etude de précurseurs organométalliques pour le dopage de revêtements DLC synthétisés par PECVD

Ce projet vise à approfondir la compréhension des mécanismes fondamentaux lors du dopage métallique de films de DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon) déposés par PECVD couplé à l’injection d’aérosol, procédé plasma permettant la synthèse de couches minces. Ces films, composés d’un réseau de liaisons carbonées sp² et sp³, présentent une grande dureté, une inertie chimique élevée et une faible conductivité électrique. L’ajout contrôlé d’atomes métalliques permet d’en modifier la structure et le comportement de manière ciblée.
L’étude portera sur des précurseurs organométalliques de type métallocène, utilisés comme source métallique pour le dopage des couches minces lors du dépôt plasma. Après une première phase réalisée dans un plasma RF capacitif, le stage explorera un plasma inductif, plus dense et homogène, afin d’en évaluer l’influence sur la fragmentation des complexes et l’incorporation du métal dans la matrice carbonée.
Mené conjointement par l’Université de Montréal et l’Université Toulouse, ce projet combine l’expertise des deux équipes en chimie des précurseurs et en science des plasmas, afin d’améliorer la compréhension des interactions entre chimie moléculaire et procédés de dépôt plasma.

Lifecycle and Multi-Criteria Assessment of Waste-Derived EPS Geosynthetics for Cold-Region Infrastructure

Cold-region infrastructure faces significant challenges due to freeze–thaw cycles, frost heave, and moisture-induced degradation. While waste-derived Engineered Polystyrene Textiles (EPT) offer a sustainable alternative to conventional geosynthetics, selecting the optimal formulation for both performance and environmental impact remains critical. This project aims to conduct a life-cycle assessment (LCA) combined with a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) to identify the most suitable EPS-based geotextile formulation produced via alkali-silicate solvent treatment. Laboratory testing will evaluate mechanical strength, permeability, and freeze–thaw resilience for different solvent ratios and curing conditions. LCA will quantify environmental impacts, including carbon footprint, energy consumption, and waste generation, while MCDA will integrate performance, environmental, and cost criteria to determine the optimal treatment formulation. A Master’s student from UNBC will undertake this 12-week internship at the University of Oulu, Finland under the mentorship of Dr. Priyadarshini Perumal, gaining hands-on experience in sustainable materials analysis, LCA methodology, and decision-support frameworks. The project will provide actionable insights into cost-effective, high-performance, and environmentally friendly EPS-based geosynthetic textiles for soil stabilization in cold climates, advancing circular economy practices and supporting low-carbon infrastructure development in northern and remote regions.

Toxicological effects of essential oils on aphids and natural enemies

Chemical insecticides play an important role in global food production, ensuring reliable pest control and high crop yields. However, their intensive use also brings significant challenges—environmental contamination, risks to human health, and the rise of resistant pest populations. Addressing these issues is critical to maintaining both agricultural productivity and sustainability.

This project seeks to discover and develop natural, safer alternatives based on botanically extracted essential oils from native Brazilian flora, which offer targeted pest control with low environmental persistence and minimal impact on beneficial organisms. Through a collaborative partnership between Brazilian and Canadian institutions, the research will identify and evaluate plant-derived compounds with insecticidal activity against a major vegetable pests. The outcomes will hopefully lay the foundation for innovative, biodegradable bioproducts that strengthen food security, open new commercial opportunities, and reduce agriculture’s environmental footprint.