Innovative Projects Realized

Mieux Vieillir Chez Soi : Le Living Lab au cœur de l’innovation médicale et sociale de demain

Avec le « quartier des générations », l’organisme TechnoMontréal réalise une avancée avant-gardiste en ce qui concerne le bien-être de nos aînés. Avec pour mandat de développer un quartier à taille réelle, expérimentant un certain nombre de projets liés à la santé connectée, la présente recherche tâchera de déterminer les forces et failles du présent système et de lister un certain nombre de recommandations. Par santé connectée, on entend ici l’utilisation de nouvelles technologies dans le but de perfectionner le système de santé actuel ou d’améliorer la qualité de vie des individus. La plus-value liée à ce projet pour l’organisme partenaire apparaît comme indéniable, en raison de la rédaction d’un rapport final, faisant état de la situation spécifique du Quartier des générations, et de recommandations propres au projet en question, ce qui permettra à terme un recalibrage du projet pour le meilleur.

Participator Cities. Every one. Every day: Toronto

Participatory Cities: Every One. Every Day: Toronto seeks to strengthen neighbourhood communities in Regent Park and Alexandra Park in Toronto. This research internship contributes to the project by developing a comprehensive understanding of what supports social cohesion in these neighbourhoods, and what hinders it. In addition, the Covid-19 pandemic has caused new problems for neighbourhoods, making it harder for people to come together as a community. This research internship will be conducting its research with these issues at the forefront to provide solutions to this difficult situation. Because Participatory Cities: Every One. Every Day: Toronto is about involving residents directly in creating more cohesion this internship will also involve residents directly in the research processes, so they can be part of the project to get to know their neighbourhoods.

Smart Grid Control Algorithms for Clean Power Generation, Storageand Load Management for medium power applications

Today with the ever increasing price of fossil fuels and the growth of gas emissions, the
development of renewable energies has become a priority for almost all world government. In
this context, Ile Infinie wants to be an actor of this transition by installing green system of
energy production devices. The company works with other actors that provide them all
technical need to install those systems. The main objective of the internship will be to codevelop
those units by creating new high level algorithm that control each system separately
and command the overall system. These algorithms will have to increase the performance
and the quality of the system to make Ile Infinie and partners’ units more competitive. In order
to develop the algorithm the intern will begin by studying technical literature and existing
standards but also analyzing and testing systems on the field. Then the development testing
and validation of the algorithm will stand in ETS laboratory…

COVID-19: High-volume electrospinning of high-performance cellulose membranes required for N95-grade mask fabrication

In close collaboration with our industrial partners, we propose to exploit our understanding and control of polymer electrospinning, in order to produce high-performance polymer-based filter membranes deposited on medical-grade cellulose substrates. In turn, these high-performance filter membranes will be produced in high volumes by our industrial partners for the manufacturing of N95-grade protection masks essential in the context of the current pandemic. We propose to use medical grade cellulose substrates in order to deposit a biocompatible electrospun fiber layer. In order to achieve N95-grade specifications, the electrospun film will have to be fused into a denser self-sustaining membrane filter using one of four techniques readily accessible by our team. As such, the key research objective of this MITACS project will be to design, assemble and test a new process and system capable of producing small (research-grade) batches up-to 6 m2 of consolidated N95-grade membrane per hour.

Techniques of Aircraft Engine Vibration Analysis

The Master’s student will conduct the investigation of the state-of-the-art of the engine mount-damperaircraft
structure technology to reduce the aircraft structural vibration. He/she will establish the
framework for the modeling, based on the test and experiment procedures that are provided by P&WC.
The modeling will be planned so that the model results can be verified by the experiment (in future
work), and vice versa the changes in the model parameters can be easily implemented into test rig.
Therefore, the literature review will focus on both numerical and analytical methods used for studying
the dynamics of aircraft engine and its parts as well as state-of-the-art of the experiment methods, in
addition to what is provided by P&WC.

Élaboration d’un outil d’aide à la prise de décision pour le pilotage d’un portfolio de recherche et développement, pour la division EML d’ABB

Selon le Ministère de l’Économie, de la Science et de l’Innovation, la nouvelle réalité est que le cycle de vie moyen des produits est de trois à cinq ans selon les marchés. Les entreprises doivent constamment améliorer leurs produits et en créer des nouveaux pour maintenir leur position par rapport à la concurrence.

La recherche et développement, qui est l’élaboration et la mise en marché de produits et services qui adressent les nouvelles problématiques des clients, représente une force motrice des entreprises performantes. Les entreprises doivent faire des choix judicieux pour attribuer les ressources limitées aux projets choisis.

Le succès des projets en recherche et développement est assuré par une gestion de portfolio efficace.

L’objectif de la recherche est d’élaborer un outil qui va rendre plus efficace, le choix de bons projets lors de la gestion de portfolio.

Rapid deployment of AI-assisted COVID-19 detection for radiology

There is currently an abundance of research in the community in terms of capturing X-ray data around COVID-19 analysis to help diagnosis for radiologists. However, at the same time there are staffing shortages that lead either to long diagnosis wait times and potential misdiagnosis. Our research is focused around rapid deployment of AI and developing of a system to deploy AI technologies and algorithms using existing infrastructure within the hospital. Our proposed methodology uses existing hospital infrastructure while being able to take advantage of the AI models being developed to assist in COVID-19 diagnosis. For this purpose, we will develop advanced AI algorithms around COVID-19 detection for use with the system as well as X-ray image enhancing techniques that could potentially assist radiologists in making better decisions for diagnosis.

Optimisation de la politique de gestion des remplacements des employés absents

Merinio propose une solution de gestion des remplacements : leur logiciel permet à l’employeur de communiquer directement avec les employés pour leur proposer des opportunités de remplacements. De l’autre côté, les employés peuvent prévenir leur employeur de leurs absences (afin que l’employeur puisse savoir qui a besoin d’être remplacé) et de s’ils acceptent une des propositions de remplacements qui leur a été faite. Récemment, Merinio s’est mis à travailler avec des agences de placement d’agents de sécurité qui rencontre actuellement avec la crise du COVID une demande très importante pour leur service et un fort taux d’absentéisme. Leur solution permette de trouver des remplaçants plus rapidement afin de remplir le quart de travail à temps. Cependant, il reste beaucoup de place pour optimiser le processus de communication avec les employées afin d’accélérer les remplacements.

Characterization and regulation of new proteins in COVID-19/SARS CoV-2 by cannabinoids

Presently, there are almost 100,000 people in Canada with COVID-19, the disease caused by the SARS CoV-2 virus, and almost 7000 have died. Although an effective vaccine is the ultimate goal, it is a long way off. To slow the spread and reduce the medical, social, and economic burdens, new treatments are needed. To find those, we need to know how the SARS CoV-2 virus works. In the proposed research, we will study two new proteins that SARS CoV-2 makes, which haven’t been seen in viruses before, to find out how they harm cells. We will also study a group of possible new drugs, the cannabinoids, to see if they can counteract the damage done by these viral proteins. This work will help scientists understand how the virus works in cells, to spur the development of new treatments. It may also uncover a new treatment for the virus, helping to save lives.

Assessment of the uncertainty in calculating the wind farm energy production using statistical methodology

The evaluation of the wind resource and its associated energy production over the life cycle of the wind
power project is one of the most important elements to determine the profitability of a wind power
project since a bank bases its decision on the energy production that is estimated to occur with a 99%
probability. Its evaluation is a highly uncertain process and it requires the assessment of the
uncertainty in the measurement of the wind resource.
It is important to find a sound statistical approach to properly account for uncertainty in wind resource
assessment and wind energy production estimation, in order to bring rigor to this evaluation.
Uncertainty arises at all stages in the process, from measuring the wind speed to the uncertainty in a
power curve. A proper assessment of uncertainty is critical for judging the feasibility and risk of a
potential wind energy development….

Une mesure vivante du capital marque des entreprises étudiées au travers des critères ESG et de l’apprentissage machine

L’objectif de ce projet et de proposer une nouvelle approche pour générer un score ESG (environnementale, sociale et de gouvernance) basé sur la perception des consommateurs perçu via les réseaux sociaux. Cette nouvelle approche permettra de palier à plusieurs problèmes de transparences et de comparabilités lié aux scores ESG actuelle. Cette nouvelle mesure pourrait être bénéfique pour le classement des entreprises qui compose les fonds communs de placement « vert » ou « responsable ». De plus, cette nouvelle mesure ESG sera testée afin de vérifier si oui ou non les éléments qui composent le score ESG d’une entreprise ont un impact sur la valeur de son capital marque.

Improving Data Usability and Identification of Inconsistencies in a Unified Healthcare System

The proposed research project will enable a patient’s family doctor or specialist or emergency room doctor to quickly view the patients’ healthcare data most important to view to help the patient at that time. For example, before a doctor prescribes a drug, they can quickly make sure it will not cause problems for the patient when taken with the patient’s other prescriptions. An emergency room doctor can determine if an unconscious patient has any conditions, they should be aware of before treating the patient. For example, allergies to certain drugs or a recent procedure or operation.

The benefit to the partner organization is that they can commercialize the product to create an income stream through multiple healthcare service locations. As well, their staff will gain valuable experience through the implementation of the product to produce other healthcare information services.