Innovative Projects Realized

Management of a poisonous herb in Bavarian grasslands

The seismic wavefield at Villarrica Volcano

Molecular switches leading to deactivation of sensory signaling and recovery of cellular response

Learning from the past: Short-term climate change and ice-sheet dynamics during the Oligocene

Complex network analysis of chemical synaptic communication, from C. elegans to H. sapiens

A novel cost-effective skin-tone detector for consumer devices

Skin-tone detection has received considerable attention in recent years and applied in wide

range of image processing and computer vision applications. The objective of this research

project is to develop a real-time skin-tone detection solution optimized for consumer devices,

allows for a deliverance of high detection performance at minimal computational costs. The

proposed solution will deliver reliable and robust performance even under varying illumination

conditions and unconstrained complex background. Key challenge faced by researchers dealing

with skin tone detection includes selection of a model of skin color distribution and a color

space. Addressing this challenge requires collaborative research which involves academia and

industry. We will carry out comparative evaluation of various skin-tone detectors in terms of

detection performance and computational complexity to identify the best algorithms suit for our

requirements. Consequently, the proposed research will allow us to develop a low complexity

skin-tone detection module, enabling robust real-time detection in consumer grade devices.

Gaining resources by conversion of Brewers’ spent grain with microorganisms to valuable products

Microbiota, metabolomics and stroke

Use of pulp mill residues as construction and geotechnical materials – Year two

Heat and electricity generation from biomass combustion in power boilers and co-generation plants produces large quantities of ash residues in British Columbia (BC) each year. In 2013, approximately two thirds of the produced ash were landfilled in Canada and only the remaining one third beneficially utilized. On the other hand, high-quality construction materials are rare in many parts of the world, and most often engineers are forced to seek alternatives to reach the stipulated requirements. In addition, road maintenance operations in BC are often costly, but by formulating a suitable additive to the problematic sites can reduce the cost and allay the need of further maintenance. There are innumerable problems associated with engineering constructions on the problematic soil deposits in BC; for example, soft, collapsible and organic soils. TO BE CONT’D

Use of pulp mill residues as construction and geotechnical materials

Heat and electricity generation from biomass combustion in power boilers and co-generation plants produces large quantities of ash residues in British Columbia (BC) each year. In 2013, approximately two thirds of the produced ash were landfilled in Canada and only the remaining one third beneficially utilized. On the other hand, high-quality construction materials are rare in many parts of the world, and most often engineers are forced to seek alternatives to reach the stipulated requirements. In addition, road maintenance operations in BC are often costly, but by formulating a suitable additive to the problematic sites can reduce the cost and allay the need of further maintenance. There are innumerable problems associated with engineering constructions on the problematic soil deposits in BC; for example, soft, collapsible and organic soils. TO BE CONT’D

Le renouvellement des outils de développement agricole et rural : une perspective par filières régionales

La recherche vise à formuler un cadre d’analyse et d’intervention destiné à soutenir le développement du domaine agricole dans les régions de l’Est-du-Québec. Cette contribution consistera 1) à l’identification des principales caractéristiques socioéconomiques de ces régions, 2) à l’analyse des difficultés rencontrées par les acteurs locaux impliqués dans le développement du secteur agroalimentaire, 3) à la formulation de leviers institutionnels inédits visant à accroître les capacités d’action des milieux régionaux sur le développement de filières agroalimentaires régionales. Ces mécanismes de soutien conceptualisés pour l’Est-du-Québec dans une telle perspective pourraient à terme inspirer d’autres régions souhaitant se doter d’instruments de développement similaires.

Interface and Data analysis for a Bridge Structural Health Monitoring System (SHM)

The world has many ageing bridge structures which are being used well beyond their design service life time. It is of essential interest for the governments and public to insure safety and sustainability of bridges. One of the most advanced techniques used to investigate the conditions of bridges is the Structural Health Monitoring (SHM). The targeted bridges will be instrumented with several sensors and the data collection is performed using appropriate Data Acquisition System (DAQ). Several software and algorithms are used to stream the data life to the cloud and perform analysis on the data to extract the vital signals of the bridge. Decision is made after that based on the health condition of the bridge)