Innovative Projects Realized

Scalable System Services: Programming Practices and Tool Support

Scalable systems must seamlessly grow to absorb large data sets and incorporate increasing

numbers of processing units within in various communication fabrics. Broadly considered, this concept

applies to cores sharing memory, processors sharing a bus, nodes sharing a network in a

grid/cluster/cloud, or services sharing compositions of components. Ironically, attempts to add more

resources-whether they are physical processing elements or higher-level services-cannot always

be easily incorporated into existing systems.

This project explores practical means of achieving scalability by considering three different but interrelated

issues: parallel design patterns for high level system organization, tool support to help

developers reason about the tradeoffs between programming effort and system performance, and

light-weight resource monitoring and composition tools to support this evaluation. Combined, we

believe these three elements will support software development practices critical for building scalable

systems, as well as produce much needed corresponding tool support to assist developers in modern

software evolution and maintenance.

La qualité de vie liée à la santé et la participation sociale des personnes âgées souffrant de perte auditive et de leurs proches.

ans cette proposition de recherche, une étude connexe est proposée en vue d’investiguer trois questions de recherche clés. Dans l’étude, nous chercherons à determiner si la perte auditive (PA) et l’utilisation d’aides auditives (AA) chez les personnes âgées ayant une perte auditive liée à l’âge (PALA) ont un impact sur la qualité de vie (QV) et la participation sociale (PS) de ces personnes, ainsi que la QV et la PS de leurs proches (PR). Les participants seront recrutés au Canada et au Brésil à part égale. Cette stratégie permettra alors de: a) recruter un grand échantillon de participants (n=360); b) explorer et comparer l’utilisation d’aides auditives et la participation sociale selon la culture ( pays développé VS pays en cours de développement); c) fournir un ensemble de données avec un plus large éventail de résultats selon diverses variables clés indépendantes comme le nombre d’années de scolarisation, le statut socio-économique …

LCARE (Landscape carbon accumulation through reductions in emissions)

The PDF research will consist of two main tasks. The first task will be to assess carbon stocks in soils, terrestrial vegetation, and lake sediments from the 1970s to present-day around the Sudbury region. This task will involve using remotely-sensed imagery (Landsat, MODIS) validated with targeted ground-truthing collected as part of the broader L-CARE project in 2018/19. There will also be the potential to add LiDAR and hyperspectral imagery to the workflow to improve forest and soil/lake carbon stock estimation. The PDF will spend the first 6 months in Canada collating the remote sensing and ground data with collaborators at the Living with Lakes Centre, and the remaining time will be visiting collaborators at Cambridge University for help analyzing and processing the remote sensing data. The second task will use the present-day inventory data to develop and validate a spatially-explicit mechanistic ecosystem model at a regional scale with which we can forecast how future investments in pollution control and carbon capture should be prioritized under different climate and land use scenarios.

Presentation and Manipulation Techniques for Geospatial Visualizations using Augmented Reality

Headworn display (HWD) augmented reality devices, such as the Magic Leap and HoloLens provide new opportunities to enhance interactive data visualizations. While immersive HWDs provide a straightforward way to render 3D and immersive visualizations, there are opportunities to improve 2D visualizations as well. This research program considers how 3D spatial metaphors enabled by AR can extend the capabilities of touchscreen displays for 2D data visualizations.
In one sub-project we will consider the metaphor of raising elements out of the 2D visualization. We will explore its use as a mechanism for abstracting away from a base visualization, to aid in defining queries, filters, and other data constraints. After an iterative design and implementation phase we will conduct a user study comparing the technique with standard 2D tools used to accomplish the same tasks.
In a second sub-project we will explore the metaphor of offscreen data sheets or layers, which provide a coordinated views mechanism by using the space around the touchscreen, and can be physically placed over and removed from the 2D visualization on the touchscreen as a means of adding/removing data attributes.

Research on Fast and Accuracy Photonic Integrated Devices and Circuit Simulation Method

In comparison to the well-developed electronic design automation (EDA) tools of microelectronics, the simulation tools of burgeoning photonics are too coarse. Time-assuming and computer memory hungry characters restrict tradition method application on photonic devices and circuits simulation. So, the aim of the proposed research project is to find a high accuracy and efficiency simulation method and models for simulating of photonic integrated devices and circuits. With the previse work of applicant and the support of Accelerate program, the basic theory and simulation frame work will be finished within program duration. After that, the new tool will shorten the design interval and improve the quality of the products, which will reduce the costs. Further, the new tool can be applied to comprehensive simulation platform with additional benefits.

Research on Wideband Tunable Semiconductor Laser

Wavelength tunable lasers are indispensable in future wavelength division multiplexing networks which can improve the communication capacity significantly. The objective of this project is to develop wavelength tunable semiconductor lasers with an ultra-wideband. By exploiting wave manipulation method, we will target the physical realization of such a device with high fabrication yield and high reliability. As a representative of such devices, a semiconductor laser with its center lasing wavelength at 1550 nm or 1310 nm with a considerable tuning range will be designed, simulated, and experimentally demonstrated through prototyping and characterization. Meeting growing bandwidth requirement, tunable lasers will promote the development of optical communication. Therefore, this research project will enhance the competitiveness of the partner organization in communication and related fields and bring enormous economic and social benefits.

Ground Truth

The goal of the project is to develop a predictive model that will help to make a better estimate of the relative altitude using only the barometer sensor inside the Notio device. This measurement of a precise relative altitude is crucial since it is used to compute the slope, which is an important data for the cyclist and will make the Notio even better. The difficulty of this task comes from the fact that the measurement of the altitude from the sensor has a tendency to drift and thus the computed slope also does. A dataset using more precise equipments for the altitude measurement (which can’t be used in the Notio device for various reasons) is used to train a model to help correct the altitude of the Notio sensor.

The effects of grapevine microclimate manipulations on Pinot Gris glycoside aroma compound abundance and diversity

This research project is a partnership between The Wine Islands Grower’s Association, and the University of Victoria. The goal of the project is to better understand how vineyard management techniques effect wine grape quality prior to wine processing. Pinot gris is the most important white wine varietal grown on Vancouver Island and throughout British Columbia. To understand how vineyard techniques affect quality gas chromatography and mass spectrometry will be used to identify and qualify the aromatic compounds present at harvest to maximize the potential of the grapes. Providing BC growers with standard operating procedures for vineyard management techniques to improve grape and wine quality is paramount.

Assessing Small Mammal Community Assemblages and PopulationDynamics across Multiple Geographic Scales on the Canadian Prairies

Small mammals (mice and voles) are a vital component of most terrestrial

ecosystems; however, their communities have not been studied on large geographic scales

because of limits imposed by conventional sampling methods (i.e., trapping). This project will

take advantage of great-horned and burrowing owls as efficient surveyors of small mammal

comunities. Specifically, small mammal community composition analyses will be based on

50,000 small mammals identified in owl pellets collected from sites spanning 380,000 km’ of

southern Alberta and Saskatchewan. Data on such a large scale would be completely

unattainable through traditional trapping methods. The objectives of the project include (a)

understanding how variation in habitat affects small mammal communities; (b) identifying

relationships between small mammal species composition and human land use; and (c)

understanding changes in small mammal communities over time. This research will offer

unprecedented insight into environmental factors affecting small mammal distribution and

abundance.

Normes environnementales globales et Solutions pour l’Océan mondial

Mon mémoire de maîtrise invite à repenser la coopération mondiale au-delà des frontières nationales et appelle à l’intégration d’une plus large gamme d’acteurs autour des tables de décisions internationales. Pour ce faire, je m’intéresse au cas de l’environnement et, plus particulièrement, à la pollution du plastique dans les océans. À travers ce cas d’étude, mes recherches s’orientent vers l’étude des obstacles présents et futurs auxquels fait et fera face la communauté mondiale pour adresses les enjeux environnementaux globaux. Ce faisant, mon mémoire de maîtrise est porté par un objectif d’améliorer l’état actuel des connaissances sur les problèmes transnationaux, l’émergence des normes coopératives et la gouvernance environnementale mondiale.

Translational Oncology Research Data Analysis and Quality Assurance

The proposed project seeks to better understand and study the effective application of data processing tools and quality assurance systems in clinical research. Data from clinical trials is crucial in the pharmaceutical industry because it provides indicators of safety and efficacy of drug treatments for patients. However, processing and reporting on the large amounts of data available has become increasingly difficult, especially for organizations that run complex trials in an international setting. The project will develop customized reports with MediData digital platform and test their implementation.
The secondary goal of the project will be to research and support the development of a coordinated quality assurance system compliant with Good Clinical Practice (GCP) guidelines. The project will both support the development and test the quality control system that address the needs of a global clinical research organization. The quality control system developed as part of the project will be compatible with the MasterControl digital platform.
The project’s methodology will include literature review, data collection and review in order to answer the research questions and achieve project objectives.

Development of an IoT-based sleep monitoring system for optimal sleep quality

The proposed project will develop a system that combines ambient environmental sensors with sleep detection methods to measure sleep quality and allow the user to improve their focus during activities of their daily lives. Observing sleep patterns through all the stages of sleep to model the users body clock and quality of sleep. In addition, using environmental sensors to help users identify optimal sleeping conditions. This will be done by developing an algorithm that will estimate sleeping patterns with environmental sensors and produce a report to optimize their sleep. A hardware prototype will be created as a proof of concept so that the user could conveniently use it in their own home to adjust their sleep and environment. The benefit of this project will let people become more aware of their sleeping patterns and increase their sleep quality for a more active daily life.