Innovative Projects Realized

Quantitative micro-computed tomography for cartilage and joint mechanobiological measurement

This research aims to measure complex cartilage and joint mechanobiology, the dynamic interaction between cells and the physical factors, such as force, in their environment. This will be done by combining quantitative micro-computed tomography (microCT), image guided mechanical evaluation, and quantitative morphometric analysis. The aim is to combine these approaches into a single platform to provide longitudinal, quantitative, and in vivo measurement. Combining bone and cartilage imaging into a single modality is important since the two are tightly inter-regulated and communicate and respond to their loading environment among each other. To accomplish this, initial steps are to establish longitudinal contrast-enhanced CT protocols for use in time-lapse microCT imaging and integrate image-guided mechanical evaluation. This work will provide comprehensive all-in-one measurement of joint and cartilage mechanobiology. TO BE CONT’D

A Deep Learning Approach to Soft Sensor Design and Process Optimization for an Industrial Nickel Extraction Process

The objective of this project is to use artificial intelligence (AI) approaches to solve complex industrial problems. The two biggest advantages of AI-based approaches are the ability to continuously learn and also learn adequately from historical data. Traditionally, many process information are unmeasurable during live operations because of instrumentation limitations. Also, plants are not sufficiently optimized to maximize production quality, while minimizing waste. Using AI-based approaches, we can develop complex non-linear models from historical to predict the unmeasurable process information. The models are also continuously learning from the new data coming into the plant. To optimize the process operations, another family of AI algorithms called reinforcement learning will be used. These algorithms will learn the whole process, including what happens when each process variable is changed. With this knowledge, reinforcement learning can then provide the optimal sets of inputs to maximize the plant productivity, while minimizing its waste.

The control tower of the future

In our vision, each human operator participating to an emergency response mission should equipped with a portable mobile command center that collects, elaborates and displays the meaningful information generated within the area of operations. In such scenario, the availability of a reliable network able to offer the required performance and reliability to an heterogeneous set of devices (from smartphones to drones, from smart bracelets or any other sensor to any kind of vehicle, etc) represents the key to run a distributed decision-making architecture. The objective of the project is to build over the ad-hoc networking technology developed by Humanitas Solutions – the Heterogeneous Embedded Ad-hoc Virtual Emergency Network (HEAVEN) – to develop a new network infrastructure capable of supporting the novel multi-command center architecture for distributed control and improved situational awareness in emergency response operations

Pavement Distress Detection Using Conventional Unmanned Autonomous Vehicle LiDAR

In Montreal, pavement distresses are causing serious problem to the road network with more than half of the road considered in a bad and a very bad shape. Many pavement inspection methods are developed in order to inspect, detect, locate, and classify pavement distresses; however, these methods are not efficient in term of time, cost, and accuracy. In our project, we aim to develop a new approach in detecting, classifying, and locating pavement distresses using conventional unmanned autonomous vehicle LiDAR. This approach will create a new platform involving large number of vehicles equipped with LiDAR in detecting pavement distresses with no extra cost, less time, and more detection accuracy than the traditional methods.

Effects of Chemotherapy and Immune Cells on Ribosomal RNA Degradation (RNA disruption) in Tumour Cells

The business partner in this application (Rna Diagnostics, Inc.) has developed a diagnostic tool to determine whether the tumour(s) of a cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy before surgery is responding (dying) in response to treatment. This tool, called the Rna Disruption Assay (RDA), can help tailor chemotherapy, such that chemotherapy treatment is discontinued (along with its negative side effects) in patients with non-responding tumours. These patients can then move more quickly to other potentially more beneficial treatment. A new class of anti-cancer drugs can stimulate the body’s immune cells to kill tumours. They are called immunomodulators. The partner would like to determine if RDA can detect and quantify tumour cell death by the body’s immune cells, with or without chemotherapy agents. If so, then RDA may also be useful for patients prescribed immunomodulators and/or chemotherapy agents. This would significantly increase the value of RDA services provided by Rna Diagnostics, Inc.

Développement d’outils pour améliorer la fabrication de nanocomposites à base de thermoplastiques et de filaments de cellulose

Les filaments de cellulose peuvent facilement être extraits de produits naturels. Leur addition à des polymères peut entrainer une amélioration des propriétés mécaniques du matériau. Cependant, ces propriétés mécaniques intéressantes dépendent de l’état de dispersion des CF dans la matrice polymère et d’une adhésion interfaciale suffisante entre les CF et le polymère. Pour la plupart des thermoplastiques, obtenir une bonne dispersion reste un challenge et une combinaison précise d’additifs doit être choisie. En 2013, FP Innovation et Kruger ont formé une alliance pour créer une usine de production de CF et pour développer des nouvelles applications pour ces CF. Le succès de leur technologie leur a permis d’atteindre une production de 6000 T/an en 2015. Ils ont récemment conduit une étude de marché qui a montré que les nanocomposites de polypropylène (PP) et polyamide (PA) renforcés par les CF serait intéressant pour des applications automobiles. TO BE CONT’D

L’effet de l’orniérage sur la productivité forestière

L’importance de la foresterie dans l’économie nécessite de réaliser des études

permettant de comprendre et résoudre les impacts que cela produit, pouvant affecter

la durabilité des zones productrices. L’orniérage est l’un de ces impacts qui sont

connus mais pas toujours contrôlés. Certaines zones connaissent des disparités

importantes pouvant conduire à une modification du milieu à courts et longs termes. A

l’aide de photos satellites et de mesure locales, nous allons travailler à différentes

échelles et étudier la dynamique de résilience des sols et végétaux suivant les

conditions du milieu. Dans le cas des zones déjà modifiées nous isolerons les seuils à

partir desquels le milieu a basculé vers un autre état d’équilibre.

L’engagement comme baromètre organisationnel : mieux comprendre les modèles d’engagement à la disposition des organisations et les mesures y étant associées

II a precedemment ete demontre qu’un employe desengage a des consequences nefastes pour les organisations, notamment en raison d’une baisse de productivite. Cette constatation a amene un interet grandissant pour !’engagement des employes et pour ce que les organisations peuvent faire pour les engager. Toutefois, afin d’evaluer l’efficacite des interventions mises en place par les organisations, celles -ci doivent pouvoir connaltre le
nivea d’engagement de leurs employes. Ainsi, de nombreuses mesures d’engagement ont ete developpees, toutefois, sans que ce soit toujours clair si ces mesures evaluent reellement l’engagernent des employes. II devient
ainsi difficile pour les organisations canadiennes, telles que I’Aeroport de Montreal, de se retrouver face a cette profusion de mesures et de prendre une decision eclairee sur Ia plus adaptee au contexte organisationnel. Cette
recherche a done pour objectif premier de faire l’inventaire des mesures d’engagement jusqu’a present developpees et clarifier ce a quoi chacune de ces mesures refere.

Swishwash Island Tidal Marsh Restoration

This project focuses on physical and biological elements of small tidally influenced marsh channels on Swishwash Island in the central arm of the Lower Fraser River Estuary. In addition to fish data; marine invertebrate, vegetation, sediment, and toporgraphic data will also be collected and analyzed. This will provide insight into the practise of monitoring tide channels pre and post restoration and provide a basis for future monitoring and restoration efforts. Further more it will support future study that should seek to illuminate how these characteristics inform how they function as fish habitat. Increasing this knowledge will ensure better design and maintenance of these rare and important habitats for fish and wildlife. This research will add to the data set of a larger juvenile salmon monitoring project as well as help to inform Raincoast with its future endeavors in marsh habitat restoration in the Lower Fraser River Estuary.

(Co-)Habiter dans les quartiers historiques : dynamiques de cohabitations des usagers et processus de négociation des usages dans le Vieux-Montréal et ses anciens faubourgs

Depuis la désignation patrimoniale du Vieux-Montréal en 1964, les stratégies de revitalisation et de relance du quartier ont stimulé le développement d’un quartier mixte, animé et habité. Divers usagers et diverses activités doivent ainsi cohabiter sur un territoire relativement restreint, ce qui n’est pas sans générer des nuisances, des tensions, voire des conflits d’usage. Ce projet pilote vise à expérimenter une démarche de recherche-action avec la SDC Vieux-Montréal et d’autres acteurs du milieu, pour co-construire des connaissances sur les dynamiques de cohabitations des usagers et processus de négociation des usages initiés par les acteurs du développement, menant à des approches renouvelées de planification et de gouvernance locale. TO BE CONT’D

Developing chromosomal integration methods for functional screening and metabolic engineering

The goal of this project is to further develop the JGI technology CRAGE, which enables the insertion of large DNA fragments into the chromosome of a host organism. Over the course of the 3 months, the CRAGE system will be adapted for the E. coli EPI300 strain that is host to the Hallam Lab functional screening platform. By establishing the CRAGE system in EPI300, this project will allow us to increase the sensitivity and efficacy of functional screening, allowing us to more effectively discover enzyme with novel biocatalytic functions. The advancements will also increase our capacity to engineer metabolic flux within these organisms and to optimize them for downstream industrial applications. TO BE CONT’D

Use of XR to address coordination challenges in construction projects

Building design is a complex and iterative process that requires collaboration between designers from numerous disciplines. Quality of design has a direct impact on the project success and poor-quality designs are the leading cause of project delays, reworks, and cost overruns. This research aims to improve the quality of design by focussing on two themes: addressing the design coordination issues faced and getting design inputs related to constructability and maintainability from relevant end-users. For this aim, the use of modern technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) which are together denoted as Extended Reality (XR), with their potentials for providing stronger spatial understanding, will be explored. The research investigates the impact of using VR and AR tools to improve the design quality and measures its potential benefits. TO BE CONT’D