Innovative Projects Realized

Designing an urban analytics prototype for the measurement of temporary public space projects

Our parks, public spaces and their activations can catalyze neighborhoods to build connections and create stronger communities. However, it is often challenging to measure the impact and value of these projects, at a neighbourhood level.
This project looks to develop a deeper understanding of the impact of public space initiatives, focusing on the short and long-term impact and value of permanent and temporary installations and how they impact communities.
The final result will be an urban analytics prototype to better capture data, visualize the data and draw insights of the possible impacts of public space projects, at a community level.
This project will assist those working in the built environment to understand the community level impact of installations in public spaces through the compilation urban data to better plan, develop and deliver projects.

Improving Efficiency and Robustness of Model-based Reinforcement Learning

Model-based reinforcement learning allows AI systems to learn and use predictive models of their environments to plan ahead, achieving tasks more efficiently. The proposed project aims to (i) develop methods for identifying when an uncertain and/or flawed model can be relied on to make plans, and when it cannot, and (ii) implement a method which allows an AI system to explore its environment exactly when exploration will be most useful for improving its model-based predictions and plans. Such methods for using models robustly, efficiently, and adaptively are promising for real-world applications of reinforcement learning which require systems to achieve tasks with limited data.

Siemens next generation land-based gas turbine engine combustors: Characterization and development of a newly-designed injection system

.Siemens Canada develops land-based gas turbine engines that are used for power generation. These engines burn natural gas and produce combustion pollutants such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides. Reducing emission of these pollutants addition of low carbon fuel, such as hydrogen, to natural gas. However, addition of hydrogen leads to occurrence of combustion instabilities which are of safety concern for gas turbine operation. Through numerical simulations, Siemens has recently developed a fuel injection system that is believed to modify the combustion architecture inside the gas turbine engines such that allow for reducing the emissions from these engines while the possibility of combustion instability occurrence is minimized. The proposed project will experimentally assess the performance of this newly-developed Siemens fuel/air injection system. The experiments will be performed in collaboration with the National Research Council of Canada’s gas turbine laboratory research staff, UBC interns, and Siemens research engineers.

Développement d’un procédé industriel pour la production et l’utilisation d’un bioingrédientà base de bactéries lactiques pour la conservation à long terme des produits marins

Le développement de nouveaux produits antimicrobiens d’origine naturelle susceptibles de réduire

l’incidence des bactéries pathogènes et d’altération dans les aliments prêts-à-consommer et de

prolonger leur durée de vie, demeure une urgence dans le secteur agroalimentaire.

Dans le cadre de ce projet, on se propose de développer un procédé industriel pour la production et

la stabilisation à grande échelle de bio-ingrédients à base de C. divergens M35 et d’évaluer à l’échelle

industrielle le potentiel antimicrobien de ce bio-ingrédient comme alternative aux additifs chimiques

pour la bio-conservation à long terme des produits marins prêts-à-consommer.

Mitigation of product degradation in anesthetic gas capture

This project will assist a company with the commercialization of a system that captures anesthetic gases from hospital air emissions, to reduce their environmental impact and global warming effects. A working system is already developed, but under some conditions the anesthetic gases break down to form a hazardous hydrofluoric acid material. This acid is undesirable and can cause damage to the system equipment over time. This research will identify the root causes and mechanisms for this acid formation. This information will help the company to make changes such that the acid is not produced in the future, and successful commercialization can continue.

Cognitive and Physical Demands of Using Ergonomic Spinner Knobs

Howell ventures, located in Fredericton, is a leading company in North America for designing and producing driving aids. Driving aids, such as “remote spinner knobs” enable individuals who have physical limitations (due to structural, traumatic, or pathological reasons) who want to maintain their independence by driving their vehicles. The purpose of the study is to identify a remote spinner knob design that reduces cognitive and physical demands while driving.

Development of Strategy and Implementation Plan to Introduce AI based RainGrid’s Disruptive Digital Stormwater Smartgrid Technology in North American Markets in an era of Global Climate Change

The goal of this project is to develop a detailed strategic analysis and market/finance/commercialization strategy identifying gaps/barriers, opportunities/resources and benefits of developing the Ai/IoT digital “Stormwater Smartgrid” technology and its concomitant implementation business model for North American market.
This research project in collaboration with McMaster University will help RainGrid to facilitate the commercialization of the existing prototypes and to establish RainGrid as a global player in the rapidly emerging market for smart city, digital water technologies and associated business models in an era of global Climate Change.

Quantification and Improvement of Juvenile American Eel Passage Through Fishways and Wetland Water Control Infrastructure.

The American Eel is a species of significant ecological, social and commercial value and a species of conservation concern in part due to reduced habitat connectivity to both freshwater habitat as juveniles, commonly known as glass eels or elvers. During the proposed research period the intern will work to quantify passage of elvers through existing infrastructure that is representative of the majority of infrastructure within Ducks Unlimited projects within Atlantic Canada. This knowledge will permit DUC to quantify the ability of elvers to access freshwater habitat inside its projects and work to develop widely applicable solutions to increase elver passage. This will enhance the populations of eels within DUC projects and enhance the productivity long term viability of DUC wetland projects.

Vers une redéfinition de l’agenda de négociation à l’OMC ?

Alors que les attentes étaient grandes, la Conférence ministérielle de Buenos Aires de l’OMC s’est conclue sans même que soit adoptée une Déclaration ministérielle commune, entraînant ainsi de vifs débats sur la fonction de négociation de l’Organisation mondiale du commerce. La précédente conférence ministérielle tenue en 2015 s’était conclue sur une absence de consensus quant à l’avenir des négociations, reconnaissant même une divergence entre les membres quant au cycle de Doha. À Buenos Aires, les États ont constitué des groupes de travail ouverts sur de nouvelles questions qui pourraient amener l’émergence de nouvelles questions de négociation. Ce projet portera sur l’évaluation de ces tendances.

Characterization of Natural Organic Matter from Various Sources

BioLiNE Corporation is a technology innovator, focused on providing advanced, science-based solutions for sustainable crop production. BioLiNE® products have consistently demonstrated superior results helping farmers grow healthier crops with higher yield and exceptional quality. One of the active ingredients in some of our products is fulvic acid, an extremely complex organic acid produced in nature through the process of humification. The humification process is quite complex and involves both biotic and abiotic processes, and as such researchers to- date are not able to synthesize fulvic acid in the lab. In this project we are attempting to study the chemical structure and composition of fulvic acid derived from different natural sources with the goal of advancing the understanding of fulvic acids.

Indigenous and Northern Centre for Innovation

The goal of this project is to support Indigenous economic development corporations in the establishment of technology-focused companies designed to introduce, test and market new and emerging technologies of potential application for Indigenous communities. At present, northern, remote and Indigenous communities are being left behind in the technological revolution. Companies do not reach out to First Nations, Inuit and Metis communities. The” innovation gap” is growing larger. This initiative will connect development corporations with start-up companies, corporations and researchers working on technologies of potential application in these communities. The tech development unit will evaluate and test the suitability of these technologies for northern and remote communities and peoples, examine the market potential locally, regionally, nationally and internationally, and market and support selected technologies. The over-riding purpose is to ensure that Indigenous and northern communities gather the benefits from fast-moving technological innovations.

Fatigue characterization of cane and synthetic reeds for alto saxophone

Reeds for woodwind instruments are known to be extremely variable and change significantly with time. This makes it difficult for musicians to find and maintain a reed that performs at a level suitable for their personal preference. In this project, the magnitude of these changing properties will be characterized in both natural cane reeds and synthetic alternatives, thus examining the cost-benefit of supposedly more durable synthetic reeds. The impact that these changing properties have on the resulting sound quality (important to the musician) will also be compared between cane and synthetic reeds. The results will aid the partner organization in the design of future synthetic reed products, testing methods and provide baseline data on current products to help musicians select equivalent synthetic reeds exhibiting the desired performance of more variable cane reeds.