Innovative Projects Realized

Conception et évaluation d’un système embarqué permettant d’analyserles forces de poussée des athlètes de l’équipe canadienne de patinagede vitesse courte piste

Les connaissances des spécialistes de patinage de vitesse courte piste Canada sur la manière dont patinent leurs athlètes d’élite sont principalement basées sur leur expérience personnelle. Actuellement, le manque de mesures concrètes réduit considérablement les innovations technique et d’entrainement que s’autorisent les spécialistes. L’objectif du projet consiste donc à concevoir un système capable de mesurer les forces générées par les athlètes olympiques à chaque coup de patin. Ce système permettra aux spécialistes de mesurer concrètement ce qu’il se passe sur la glace, et ainsi d’ajuster plus précisément les stratégies d’entraînement en musculation, ou encore la forme des lames des patins.

Design of a Force-Feedback Manipulandum with Integrated Sensors

Haply Robotics is developing a haptic device that produces forces on the hand while interacting with medical simulations in virtual reality. As part of this larger project, we will design and evaluate an improved manipulandum – the stylus of the device that is held in the hand – with integrated sensors capable of measuring the grip force applied by the hand and the location of the manipulandum. By measuring the grip force, we will optimize the forces produced such that they are adapted to whether the manipulandum is held loosely or firmly, which can otherwise result in unstable behavior (e.g., unwanted vibrations). By integrating novel tracking sensors, we expect to reduce the cost of tracking, improve the range of motion, and allow the manipulandum to be detached and used as a handheld virtual reality controller. The result will be a high-performance, cost-effective manipulandum that will be part of Haply’s next-generation haptics devices.

Program Evaluation: Community Impact/Poverty Reduction

The purpose of this project is to assist a community non-profit organisation to build a comprehensive plan to evaluate its poverty reduction initiatives and activities. The agency partners with other non-profit agencies as well as with government partners, other stakeholders, and persons with lived/living experience. The purpose of the project is also to develop a set of common/shared measures of progress amongst several agencies as a demonstration project that will be evaluated to determine its utility across agencies and potentially within government to enhance collaboration and improve reporting.

The Use of ‘Lesson Play’ As a Post-Activity of ‘TouchTimes’

The focus of this proposal is on ‘TouchTimes’, a new and potentially powerful digital technology for understanding multiplication. I want to explore processes by which students can reflect meaningfully on their experiences of using ‘TouchTimes’, in order to support their learning. The issue I am concerned with is whether a process of writing about their experience leads students to form explicit links between the manipulative activities of ‘TouchTimes’ and the concept of multiplication. I intend to make use of ‘lesson play’ (script-writing) as a post-activity task for students, after using ‘TouchTimes’. It will be possible to investigate the extent to which students are able to summarise and re-organise their embodied knowings, to write a script. I will consider the extent to which writing lesson scripts provokes meaningful generalisations of manipulative activity. Outcomes from the project will relate both to ways of using ‘TouchTimes’ for learning multiplication and the potential of lesson-play as a tool for teachers and researchers to use with students.

Indigenous Co-Led Reclamation Research Project

This project will assist Suncor Energy Inc. (Suncor) and Fort Mckay First Nation bring a Suncor mine site back to its original ecological state and environmental functions. To best achieve this, Fort Mckay First Nation and Suncor will work together to ensure the new restored site will support the traditional practices of Fort Mckay First Nation. The research team will analyze how Suncor and Fort Mckay First Nation work together, best utilizing both Scientific and intergenerational Indigenous Knowledge to restore this mine site. From this research Suncor will develop key lessons learned on how to effectively build relationships with indigenous communities and be a key player in Canada’s work to reconciliation with the indigenous peoples of Canada.

A Case-Based Approach to Integrating the “Fail Fast” Philosophy into Business Planning

This goal of this project is to develop a business plan for a searchable and interactive neighbourhood

website that aggregates information obtained by journalists and other sources. Theoretically, the grad

student researcher will explore how to incorporate the philosophy of “failing fast” into the confines of

a traditional business plan. To do this, specific case studies will be chosen for analysis. Case study

research has been defined as “an empirical inquiry that investigates a contemporary phenomenon

within its real-life context; when the boundaries between phenomenon and context are not clearly

evident; and in which multiple sources of evidences are uscd.” Advocates of the case study method

emphasize its effectiveness in understanding and analyzing complex, unique situations. The case study

research method will be applied in this project. The partner organization benefits from both a new

perspective to developing a business plan, as well as Irom the actual plan itself.

Development of Methods to Increase Funding for Scaling-up Climate Solutions

Alarming cost forecasts about climate change are spurring interest in investment in technologies for climate change mitigation. Investigations indicate there are already innovative technologies that could generate significant climate change mitigation; however, innovators are not receiving the funding they need for rapid and large-scale implementation. This research project is directed towards developing methods for attaining substantial amounts of funding from investors for the scale-up of clean technologies. The objectives are to develop a robust and transparent procedure for connecting clean technology innovators with investors. Portfolios of potential investors and clean technology climate solutions that are most suitable for scale-up will be developed. The applications of selected clean technologies will be studied, and the knowledge acquired about the investors and clean technology innovators will be used to facilitate and customize engagement between suitable investor-innovator matches. The research outcomes are important for helping to mitigate climate change and for enhancing economic growth.

Powered Hip Prosthesis

People with an amputation at the hip or pelvis have the most difficulty returning to walking because their artificial limb (prosthesis) must replace the hip, knee, and ankle joints. Current prosthetic hip technologies barely meet the person’s needs, leaving these amputees with few options. This project will build from current powered prosthetic knee technology (Össur POWER KNEE) to create a new level of prosthetic technology that powers both the hip and knee. This new robotic prosthesis will improve walking, moving from sit-to-stand, walking on slopes and stairs, and safer recovery from stumbles. A better walking style can also avoid back pain and other joint problems in the person’s intact legs, which are common for hip or pelvis amputees. The freedom of powered prosthetic mobility may lead to more social and productive lives.

Canadian Oil and Gas Production, Supply Costs, Economic Impacts and Emissions Outlook

In this study, an integrated model will be developed to forecast oil and gas productions in the next 20 years for Canadian basins. Using the output of the model, supply costs estimation, economic impact analysis and GHG emissions calculation will be conducted over the forecast period from 2020 to 2040. The developed integrated model will provide industrial partners and policymakers with a better strategy to make good investment decisions. This project is defined as part of CERI’s 2019-2020 research plan. To perform the project in a more efficient way, a new researcher is required to join the team to help in developing the predictive model, meeting the specified project objectives and writing technical reports and journal paper.

Characterization of a Biolubricant Based on Sulfated Polysaccharide Derived from Brown Algae

Lubricant is the substance used to decrease the friction generated between the two surfaces undergo relative motion. There are many applications for naturally occurring lubricants in medical field to improve a patient’s quality of life. Fucoidan is one of the naturally occurring lubricants that has the potential of reducing adhesion after an abdominal surgery. ARC Medical devices have developed an advanced manufacturing process to produce ultra-pure fucoidan that’s more suitable for clinical application. Additional understanding on how fucoidan provide its excellent adhesion reduction properties for hydrophilic surface is still required. Therefore, the current project is not only to study the optimal application range of ARC Medical’s fucoidan but also to determine the underlying cause for the excellent lubricating properties fucoidan provided under an aqueous environment.

Inter-annual evaporation fluxes for four different land use types in the Greater Toronto Area

The proposed research will investigate the inter-annual variability of evaporation rates of four different urban land use locations within the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) – rooftop (impervious), industrial (partially impervious), residential (partially pervious), and grass field (pervious). There will be regularly scheduled meetings with TRCA representatives to enhance my technical proficiency, data analysis capabilities and communication skills. The information presented in the final report will benefit the TRCA, providing the longest time record of evaporation data for the GTA. The outcomes from this research can be utilized in watershed modeling and land management. This type of research represents a benchmark for measuring evaporation, which is the largest portion of the water budget and the one most often ignored.

Assessing the Effect of Emotions on Online Word of Mouth and Retention

This project aims two answer two research questions. First, we respond to nearly 15 years of call for research to understand how word of mouth communication is used in B2B settings. Specifically, we conduct a qualitative research to identify what drives B2B customers to get engaged in online word of mouth communication. Second, we examine how emotions expressed in written interactions between B2B customers and suppliers affect customers’ engagement in online word of mouth communication and customer retention. We test the effect by using the organization partner’s archival data and using a statistical model. Findings from this project will add to the literature of word of mouth communication in B2B contexts and literature of emotions. For the partner organization, this research helps them to choose the effective strategies to handle customers’ interactions when emotions are expressed and to encourage customers to get engaged in online word of mouth communication.