Innovative Projects Realized

Scalability and performance considerations for the Asset Store

This proposed research will be held as part of the implementation of an online marketplace for smart assets, project that will be developed at Side Effects Software .The main objectives of this applied

research project will be first, trying to predict the performance requirements. Second, estimating the set of queries that need to be performed. Third, doing an exploratory and deep comparative (Sql versus NonSql

databases) study of the different data storage systems and technologies with the aim of selecting the right model for the asset store. The results of this applied research project will be crucial for the success of the

smart asset store. With the participation of the intern in the design and implementation of the data store of the system, the company will benefit from both, the inter prior expertise in databases and distributed systems,

as well as its capacity of research as a master student.

New methodology for seismic assessment and design of Non-Structural Components (NSCs) of building based on Ambient Vibration Measurements (AVM)

Past and recent earthquake clearly demonstrate that the poor seismic performance of Non-Structural Components (NSCs) can cause the building to lose its functionality, risks the life safety of occupants, and give a rise to huge economic damages even if the structural components have performed well. During past four decades, several analytical methods and empirical equations have been developed and recommended in codes and standards for seismic design and assessment NSCs. However, all of these approaches have shortcomings that make them either impractical or imprecise. Hence, this research study is aimed to develop an original method to generate experimental Floor Response Spectrum (FRS) and inter-story drift curves based on the Ambient Vibration Measurements (AVM) to provide engineers with a simple, practical and yet reasonably accurate method for seismic design and assessment of NSCs. The industrial partner (Sensequake) has developed 3D-SAM methodology and software, a robust tool for seismic assessment of structural components, and the outcome of this research study will benefit them to extend their methodology to cover the seismic assessment of NSCs as well.

Optical functions and the performance of a photovoltaic solar cell

We aim to set-up an elementary and practical experimental tool, based on a conjuncture of the reflectance/transmittance and the photothermal deflection spectroscopy experimental approaches, which will be used in order to rapidly acquire the spectral dependence of the optical absorption spectrum corresponding to thin-film-semiconductor-based photovoltaic materials. System calibration will be performed using benchmark thin-film silicon samples that are already available in our laboratory. We will then use this set-up in order to perform characterizations on a number of thin-film-semiconductor-based photovoltaic materials of interest to our industrial partner, Solar Earth Technologies. The photovoltaic potential of each material considered will be critically examined. Further improvements to this system will be considered. Opportunities for publishing the results of this research in the open scientific literature will be pursued.

Une nouvelle approche hydro-limnologique appliquée pour quantifier la contamination provenant des eaux usées domestiques: le cas du lac Saint-Charles. – Year 2

Le lac Saint-Charles est une source d’eau potable qui alimente plusieurs municipalités sur le territoire métropolitain de Québec, soit 300 000 personnes. L’urbanisation de son bassin versant a contribué à sa dégradation. L’objectif du projet est de faire un bilan hydrologique afin de tracer et de quantifier les sources des contaminants dans le lac. L’APEL a identifié deux sources importantes, une qui provient des installations septiques et l’autre des deux stations de traitement des eaux usées. Le projet postdoctoral proposé développera le modèle de débit hydrologique basé sur les traceurs isotopiques dans l’eau (oxygène et hydrogène) et sera en mesure de quantifier chaque source afin d’identifier la plus dominante. L’APEL a l’intérêt à appliquer ce modèle. TO BE CONT’D

Une nouvelle approche hydro-limnologique appliquée pour quantifier la contamination provenant des eaux usées domestiques: le cas du lac Saint-Charles.

Le lac Saint-Charles est la source d’eau potable qui alimente plusieurs municipalités sur le territoire métropolitain de Québec, près de 300 000 personnes. La forte urbanisation de son bassin versant a accéléré sa dégradation. Les données scientifiques laissent croire que cette dégradation pourrait être irréversible si les actions requises ne sont pas mises en œuvre rapidement. Ici, nous utiliserons une nouvelle approche hydro-limnologique appliquée mettant en relation le bilan hydrologique et les propriétés limnologiques du lac pour quantifier l’impact des eaux usées domestiques. La méthode hydrologique basée sur les traceurs isotopiques dans l’eau (oxygène et hydrogène) et les propriétés physico-chimiques du lac (nutriments, matière organique) seront utilisées pour établir l’apport relatif des eaux usées des installations septiques et des stations de traitement. Les résultats aideront à identifier la source la plus dominante et à prioriser les investissements afin d’améliorer la qualité des eaux de rejets dans le lac.

An exploration of community-organised social enterprise in the development of local food system infrastructure

This research will explore how community organised social entrepreneurship and enterprise can be used to build and strengthen local food systems in the Capital Region of British Columbia. It will ask questions about how effective social entrepreneurship could be in developing warehousing, distribution and processing services that are compatible in scale and quality with community-based local food system objectives and values. It will ask about the blended value that social entrepreneurship could bring to achieving environmental, ecological and social goals while shifting the food system away from industrial food production and toward more sustainable and resilient local production. The research will provide new information and knowledge to the innovation that industry partner, Thrifty Foods, is interested in bringing to the expansion of its local food initiatives in the region and beyond.

Apprentissage automatique de la croissance et présence de maladies au sein de populations de crevettes

Le domaine technologique de l’aquaculture est en pleine expansion. De nouveaux instruments d’échantillonnage génèrent beaucoup de données alors l’analyse de celles-ci s’avère un défi important. Les aquiculteurs à travers le monde ont besoin d’être guidés de manière fiable dans leur pratique et les avancements en technologie sont là pour les aider. Dans ce projet, le partenaire bénéficiera d’une expertise en matière d’analyse de données pour la conception de modèles statistiques, descriptifs et prédictifs pour améliorer leur produit actuel de collecte d’information. Appliquer ces techniques d’analyse en aquaculture sera une première et certainement un avantage concurrentiel non négligeable pour le partenaire.

Research on data collection and collaboration from multiple diverse sources in the pharmaceutical vertical

Enhancement of technology and computer science has helped researchers in multiple fields and industries, from health care to automotive industry. Smoking is one of the habits that could harm humans dramatically. Lung cancer, heart attack is just some of the diseases that come with smoking. A large number of people strive to quit smoking each year by various methods, but not all of them are successful. In this research, we try to study what are the reasons that tempt people who quit smoking to smoke again. This is performed by gathering data from an app called Quitter’s Circle which is built to help people quit smoking by opening social dialogue from relatives, supporters and doctors. The gathered data would form a data warehouse, where it would be studied and analyzed to find what are the most influential factors that make people return to smoking.

Biomarkers of Spinal Cord Injury

In this project, we will establish biomarkers that objectively reflect the severity of injury, measure its progression, and predict neurologic outcome after acute spinal cord injury (SCI). This will be accomplished by comprehensively analyzing blood and spinal fluid samples from acute SCI patients. In addition, we will conduct a parallel experimental study in a large animal model of SCI with a similar analysis of blood and spinal fluid samples. In addition, we will utilize the large animal model of SCI to establish the changes in blood supply, oxygenation, pressure, and metabolism after injury, in order to measure the progression of secondary damage and predicting (and possibly altering) the neurologic outcome. This work is beneficial to the Rick Hansen Institute as it is closely aligned with their mission to “identify, develop, validate, and accelerate the translation of evidence and best practices to reduce the incidence and severity of paralysis after SCI”.

Stochastic optimization of a hydroelectric production system for the aluminium industry

Rio Tinto operates aluminium plants in Saguenay that are powered by their hydroelectric system. An efficient management of water available in the system is primordial to ensure energy supply to the aluminium smelters. This quantity is uncertain since the exact inflows in the reservoirs are unknown when decisions are taken. Stochastic optimization is used to make decisions under uncertainty. Mid-term optimization models determine reservoir volumes while short-term models dispatch the available water as efficiently as possible between the power plants and turbines in the system. The goal of this project is to develop operational optimization models for Rio Tinto by coupling the mid and short-term models and by developing a method to define a calendar of unit outages. The optimization models must consider energy demand, hydrologic forecast uncertainty as well as uncertainty linked to the outage of smelters. Their use leads to using water efficiently and operational costs reduction.

Transitioning from Print to Interactive Digital Publishing – Year 2

PUBLIC is an innovative art journal published by Public Access exploring the intersection between art, technology and contemporary culture. This fellowship develops PUBLIC’s open access interactive web platform, PUBLIC:PORTAL, using information visualization and design to showcase the journal’s cutting-edge collaborative and cross-disciplinary work. Working with the Sensorium Centre for Digital Arts and Technology at York University, PUBLIC’s information designers, as well as Public Access’s network of artists and researchers, the fellow will develop the pilot issue of PUBLIC:PORTAL. This project designs and tests graphical user interfaces and visualization strategies to investigate how abstract and complex information can be conveyed through intuitive design. It will also generate new data on effective information design of cultural content and the application of interactive visual exploration in online publishing. PUBLIC:PORTAL will capitalize on the unique potential of the digital platform to construct a responsive and adaptive infrastructure to facilitate collaborations between researchers and artists/designers.

Design of a Generic Framework for Custom Hardware Integration into the Android Platform

The design of a perfect hardware accelerator has always amounted to only a moderate victory if poor software support is provided. Hardware accelerators are found in everyday devices and are beginning to take hold in mobile platforms including video codecs to security based hardware solutions. The key to an effective hardware solution is the interface provided to it from a software perspective. If the interface is confusing or deviates from standardized practices, costs and time to market increase while the manufacturer’s brand suffers. Here, we look to explore the interaction between hardware and software while considering both design perspectives. A transparent mechanism will be described which adheres to existing design flows and respects legacy code. Elliptic Technologies Inc. looks to use this research project to further improve their excellent product integration directions and facilitate ease of use with their customers lowering development costs and time to market.