Innovative Projects Realized

Développement d’une méthodologie pour évaluer et valider lenouveau concept du KneeKG

Le KneeKG est une technologie développée par des chercheurs de l’école de technologie supérieure, du Centre de recherche du CHUM et la Teluq, commercialisé par la compagnie Emovi, qui permet la mesure précise du mouvement du genou à la marche sur tapis roulant. Un peu comme l’électrocardiogramme, elle fournit des informations sur les déficiences mécaniques d’un patient à la marche. La technologie consiste en un système d’attache qui vient se clamper sur le genou et sur lequel sont fixés des capteurs de mouvement. Le design du système d’attache a été revu récemment afin de le rendre plus facile d’utilisation et plus confortable. Le présent projet vise à contribuer à la validation de ce nouveau design.

Adventure Tourism in the TOTA Region: A COVID-19 Recovery Strategy

Adventure tourism is an important industry to the strategic development of the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Region in the BC Interior. Many communities are transitioning from resource extraction industries to adventure tourism. Adventure tourism is often chosen due to its ability to provide socio-cultural, environmental and economic benefits. This research will explore how resilient tourism development strategies are supporting small to medium sized adventure tourism operators in the Thompson Okanagan and their ability to sustain rural and Indigenous livelihoods. This research will use participatory action research, with in-depth, semi-structured interviews to create an inventory of vulnerabilities from key tourism stakeholders in order to determine a robust recovery strategy from the COVID-19 pandemic that adventure tourism operators can use to enhance resiliency. In addition, this research will assist Symphony Tourism Services in their plan to supporting small to medium sized tourism operators, business development agencies, and tourism marketing organizations, in order to determine how vulnerable the adventure tourism industry is in the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Region.

Investigating Machine-Learning-Based Mocap Data Augmentation for Live Performance

This project is a collaboration between researchers from the Simon Fraser University and industry partners, Lifelike & Believable Animation Design and Animatrik Film Design. Its goal is to research and develop machine learning techniques for capturing and analyzing movement data in real-time to support the world’s first immersive in-game 3D simulcast of a live, real-time motion-capture circus performance, featuring death-defying physical performances and stunning, cinematic quality visuals.

Assessing Alternative Options and Refinement of Biomass Combustion Systemsfor Energy Cost Reduction in Greenhouse Industries

AMCO requires improvements to the alternate energy systems that cannot be supported by

operating profits alone. This project is essential to ensure the company remains viable and that

the company does not shut down the Biomass Plant and absorb such debt in its current

operations. The project will increase the amount of green energy production thereby reducing

the consumption of fossil fuels and proactively reducing CO2 disbursed into the atmosphere.

However a number of technical hurdles associated with the conversion and management of

biomass and other low grade fuels are the major issues that inhabit their use as potential fuels.

The intern with the support from all the partners will work on these issues. MITACS’s support

will help with timeliness of the project, assist us to get and maintain the best available technical

resources for crucial technology know-how and transfer to AMCO.

Estimation and exploration of latency data to optimize network function deployment in 5G networks

The project will aim at collecting and studying 5G wireless network data latency to a) find ways to improve latency results (reduction, avoidance of peaks, etc.) and b) identify methods to optimize the distribution of network or application function within the network (i.e. find the optimal location of a function in a network ranging from the device, the edge, the core or the cloud).

Development of a polishing treatment process (PTP) for anaerobic digester centrate

The production of biogas via the anaerobic digestion of organic waste is a growing industry in Canada. One benefit of this approach is that the resultant organic waste (digestate) can be dewatered and used as fertilizer; however, the removed water fraction remains rich in organic compounds and must be adequately treated before being discharged from the plant, which can be quite costly. This research, conducted in partnership with Anaergia, will investigate the use of a novel dissolved air flotation-nanofiltration process (DAF-NF) as an additional treatment step to supplement Anaergia’s current approach of using a membrane bioreactor (MBR) to treat wastewater. Since no prior research has explored the treatment of MBR effluent produced via anaerobic digestion, and since the treatability of wastewater via this new process depends on the characteristics of the wastewater, we will use lab- and pilot-scale studies to assess the proposed process’ viability

Sustainable Management of Abandoned, Lost, or Discarded Fishing Gear in British Columbia: Through the Lens of Local Stakeholders

A review of current literature will be used to develop an enhanced record of knowledge on the topic of lost fishing gear in British Columbia; specifically looking at the socio-economic and ecological impacts, regionally applicable case study solutions, best practice framework recommendations, and current policies on environmental management of marine debris in Canada. Results will be utilized to develop a regional best management practices for BC ALDFG that can be applied by local stakeholders. The ideas will be developed on the basis of sustainability principles and regional community action, where an all-hands-on-deck approach will be required to tackle this problem and therefore, a recognition of different approaches to engagement needs to be understood. Shared knowledge and perspectives of local stakeholder groups (particularly fisheries and extended fisheries industries) should be valued and integrated into all subsequent planning for the reduction of regionally lost BC fishing gear.

Application and optimization of molecular methods as an early predictor of cannabinoid content through the growing process of select cannabis cultivars in an industrial starter plant production

This project will allow Apollogreen and Loyalist College’s Applied Research Centre (ARC) to establish expertise based on a new analytical approach of cannabinoids at an early growth stage, allowing them to analyse and select cultivars to be commercially grown based on the sought after components for specific applications of licenced producers. This analytical process uses the leaves of vegetative cannabis plants instead of the common method of using mature flowers.

Fall and Head Impact Acceleration Monitoring of Short Track Speed Skaters – Year two

Short track speed skating is a fast-paced sport where athletes routinely reach speed above 50 km/h. It is one of the leading Canadian sports for medal count at the Olympic games. Unfortunately, given the fast-paced and pack-style skating, athletes often fall on the ice, which may lead to concussion. There is no clear data on the incidence of falls in short track speed skating, nor is there a clear understanding of the mechanism of head impact.

Therefore, this project will track the incidence of falls and measure head impacts that may lead to concussion using ‘smart’ mouth guards. These mouth guards have sensors that can quantify the force, location, direction, and number of impacts an athlete sustains during practice or in competition. In addition to using mouth guards to further understand head impacts, we will perform comprehensive concussion assessments to correlate head impacts to the incidence of concussion. This project will be highly beneficial to INS Québec and the Olympic Canadian short track speed skating team as it will help coaches and medical staff better understand how their athletes get concussions. This project will also help inform guidelines for the future development of helmets to keep athletes safe and healthy.

Système de gestion intelligente des déplacements d’usagers en fonction de mesures environnementales exploitées via une infrastructure 5G

Le secteur du transport représente le plus important contributeur d’émissions de gaz à effet de serre (Hoornweg et al., 2011; United Nations, 2020). Parmi l’ensemble des moyens de transport (routier, aérien, maritime), c’est le transport routier qui pèse le plus dans la balance en matière de quantités de CO2 émises dans l’atmosphère. Dans une démarche vers le développement des « villes intelligentes » et durables et pour assurer et améliorer la santé de la population, il est primordial de reconsidérer notre façon d’exploiter les différents moyens de transport pour nos déplacements quotidiens vers le lieu travail ou encore pour le loisir afin minimiser les émissions de polluants et de GES. Certaines applications pour téléphones intelligents permettent à l’heure actuelle de proposer des itinéraires de trajets dans le but d’optimiser l’Émission de GES. Cependant, ces applications ont des limites notamment dues au manque des données environnementales et au manque de multimodalité concernant les moyens de transport (vélo, marche, course, automobile, covoiturage, l’autobus, le métro, etc.). Le présent projet vise à adresser ces limites en proposant un système de gestion intelligente des déplacements d’usagers en fonction de mesures environnementales issues de réseau de capteurs exploitées via une infrastructure 5G.

Modelisation du comportement des sables ameliores par vibroremplacement

Le vibro-remplacement est une technique d’amelioration des sols proposee par Geopac Inc. qui consiste a
inserer dans Ie sol des colonnes ballastees pour les renforcer. L’utilisation de cette technique est relativement
recente au Quebec, OU I’on peut trouver des sols difficiles a traiter. L’objet de ce projet est I’etude theorique du
processus de vibro-remplacement, afin de mieux com prendre et interpreter ses effets sur Ie sol. Le stagiaire
memera une revue de litterature portant sur la modelisation numerique et analytique du vibro-remplacement. La
majeure partie du projet repose sur une campagne de modelisation numerique du vibro-remplacement. Enfin,
les donnees seront completees par des observations sur des chantiers de vibro-remplacement. Le projet permet
a Geopac Inc. d’approfondir son etude du vibro-remplacement a un niveau de recherche, et ainsi d’en prouver
eventuellement son applicabilite a de nouveaux marches.

Fall and Head Impact Acceleration Monitoring of Short Track Speed Skaters

Short track speed skating is a fast-paced sport where athletes routinely reach speed above 50 km/h. It is one of the leading Canadian sports for medal count at the Olympic games. Unfortunately, given the fast-paced and pack-style skating, athletes often fall on the ice, which may lead to concussion. There is no clear data on the incidence of falls in short track speed skating, nor is there a clear understanding of the mechanism of head impact.

Therefore, this project will track the incidence of falls and measure head impacts that may lead to concussion using ‘smart’ mouth guards. These mouth guards have sensors that can quantify the force, location, direction, and number of impacts an athlete sustains during practice or in competition. In addition to using mouth guards to further understand head impacts, we will perform comprehensive concussion assessments to correlate head impacts to the incidence of concussion. This project will be highly beneficial to INS Québec and the Olympic Canadian short track speed skating team as it will help coaches and medical staff better understand how their athletes get concussions. This project will also help inform guidelines for the future development of helmets to keep athletes safe and healthy.