Innovative Projects Realized

VAIA : Vente assistée par Intelligence Artificielle

Ce projet est une preuve de concept sur l’utilisation de l’intelligence artificielle afin d’améliorer l’efficacité des agents d’un centre d’appels. Ce système analysera la voix de l’agent afin d’extraire certaines caractéristiques tel que le nombre de mots par minute ou le ratio entre le temps de parole de l’agent et celui du client. En plus de ces caractéristiques vocales, le système sera aussi en mesure d’analyser le contenu lexical du message. Cette analyse permettra de vérifier à quel point le vendeur suit le script proposé par les administrateurs. Le tout permettra de donner des conseils à l’agent à temps réel. De plus, le système permettra d’obtenir différents types d’information sur les ventes, permettant à l’entreprise d’améliorer ces processus ainsi que d’offrir aux agents une formation plus adéquate.

Development of a CNC Machine Tool Performance Simulation System:“The VCNC System”

The industry uses computer numerical controlled (CNC) machine tools to manufacture

parts efficiently at high speed. Before batch manufacturing is performed confidently, a

trial-and-error cutting test is required to validate if part tolerances are violated, which is a

costly and time-consuming procedure. The objective of this research project is to develop

a Virtual CNC System, which can simulate the CNC motion in virtual environment.

Hence, the feed motion of general multi-axis machine tools will be modeled by

considering the machine’s kinematics structure and the dynamics of the servo system,

namely the ball-screw and linear drives. The effect of cutting process will be integrated

through the servo loop as disturbance to simulate the interaction between machine and

process. Thus, packaging the complete engineering design, analysis and simulation

system, namely the Virtual CNC System, has significant potential to be used both in the

industry as well as in engineering schools as an advanced design and teaching tool for

multi-axis motion control systems.

Advanced pricing methods for Property and Casualty Insurance

Pricing risks is of pivotal importance for the insurer’s well-being. Indeed, inappropriately determined prices, whether too high or too low, may result in insolvency of insurance policies, failure of business lines, and even bankruptcy of entire insurance enterprises. This project will help Wawanesa Insurance to develop sophisticated pricing techniques that will take into account (a) exogenous pricing factors, and (b) interdependencies among risks. Wawanesa Insurance will therefore benefit from the resulting competitive advantage. Also, as strong insurance sector is often linked to the stability of the state’s financial system, the entire Canadian community will benefit from the outcomes of this research project.

Investigating the effectiveness of mental health services offered through the Zebra Centre: Assessing what works for children who have been abused

This project will serve as the first formal program evaluation for the Zebra Centre, which has been serving victims of abuse in Edmonton and the surrounding area for 15 years. Program evaluation would open up opportunities for the Zebra Centre to learn about their strengths and areas of need in regards to their ability to support families who have undergone childhood trauma. As the Zebra Centre is preparing to expand their services to include on-site mental health support, it will be critical to investigate factors that are more likely to produce positive outcomes in families who have experienced trauma. The results gath

Natural lime biocomposite panels for sustainable building applications

This project deals with the development and optimization of natural biocomposite panels for sustainable, cost effective housing application. The application of these novel panels has several benefits for the public. First of all, pollution by carbon dioxide will be dramatically reduced as these panels not only emit less carbon dioxide for their production, but are made of materials such as natural limes that absorb carbon dioxide from the environment over time and carbon-based biomaterials which are sequestered in the composite. These materials are also non-toxic, and have very good performance in terms of acoustic and thermal insulation as well as moist retention. With these research projects, the panel design will be optimized considering multiple performance requirements (structural, thermal and sound insulation, and durability) and considering the most cost-effective and sustainable materials available in Canada. TO BE CONT’D

Investigating the causes of asphaltenes formation during visbreaking of deasphalted oil

Canadian bitumen has high viscosity compared to conventional crude oils which unable its transportation to upgraders and refineries by pipeline. In order to improve its fluidity, bitumen is submitted to high temperatures that will allow the break of chemical bonds. This process is called visbreaking. Nevertheless, the product is unstable due to the presence of asphaltenes which can precipitate and cause clogging of equipment and olefins that can further polymerize and form gums upon storage. BituMaxTM process (developed by Nexen Energy Inc.) integrates visbreaking with deasphalting process, i.e., the feed is first deasphalted before visbreaking. However, it is observed the formation of asphaltenes during the process. In order to mitigate asphaltenes formation during BituMaxTM, it is necessary to first understand the nature of molecules and the chemical conversions that take place during the process that will ultimately lead to an increase in asphaltenes content. TO BE CONT’D

Emerging Building Systems and Wood Innovation

The primary objective of this project is to develop and test an innovation feedback platform and methodology that will help the Canadian construction industry overcome significant, industry-wide barriers to innovative uses of wood, and become confident in embracing new ideas, products and processes, thereby advancing the uptake of innovative timber solutions at home and abroad. The idea is to establish a collaborative system that will help practitioners to gain access to leading experts so they can resolve technical and regulatory barriers to innovative wood buildings in a timely way, and share the learnings without fear of challenge.

Investigation of a Vertical Roller Mill for Metal Ore Processing

This research focuses on dry comminution technologies and specifically on the Vertical Roll Mill. Goldcorp recently announced a new initiative referred to as H2zero with the goal of reducing water usage in their mining operations by 80 to 100%. The study will compare energy usage in comparison to conventional wet ball mill grinding. The study will investigate the effect of dry comminution with the VRM on downstream flotation by comparing the effects of physical properties of the ground product and surface chemistry in comparison to wet grinding in ball mills.

Mathematical Foundations of Hybrid Quantum Technologies and Quantum Leap Africa

We are on the doorstep of a quantum revolution in modern science, perhaps most significantly in the development of new types of information and communication technologies, and Canada has positioned itself as a world leader in these efforts. This proposal includes an expansion of research into quantum information and communication by the University of Guelph’s David Kribs, in collaboration with the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS), which has identified quantum information as an area of fundamental importance to its network. The internships held by Kribs’ students under this project will support the AIMS-Canada chapter in its mission goals of partnership building and public engagement, and include fieldwork time spent at AIMS centres in Africa in support of its quantum information science development.

Registering the Chinese Dream: Student Reception of Public Intellectual Debates in China

Since reforms carried out in China in the 1990s, public intellectuals and academics have experienced an unprecedented amount of freedom with which to conduct research and examine the relationship between China’s past and present and its future. In recent years, however, changes in the political climate in China indicate this period of relative openness may be coming to an end. This project will consist of long group discussions with young scholars and graduate students in Beijing and Shanghai. The goal of the project is to understand what the future generation of China’s leaders think about China’s most significant, controversial, and long-lasting public debates. It will proceed contextually and from the issues raised by participants in the discussions. The project will contribute to a historical understanding of intellectual trends in China and reveal aspects of public discourse in China that are often neglected by stereotypical narratives of repression or free-market excesses.

In vivo evaluation of smart nanocarriers for cancer therapy

Cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide. Despite of development of arsenal of medications to treat cancer, the efficiency of marketed medications has been drastically compromised by their unwanted and uncomfortable side effects. To address this problem, we have developed new nano-sized drug transportation carriers to deliver the drugs to the tumor tissue and break down and release them only once they are inside the environment of a tumor or cancer cell. This method cannot only prevent damage to the healthy tissues and organs in the body but can also protect drug against various physiological barriers in the body. Investigation of these drug nanocarriers in animal models is an integral stage for their entry into clinical application. Our research supported by Mitacs is aimed to investigate the therapeutic potentials of these nanocarriers by examining them in mice. TO BE CONT’D

Multi-sensor mapping system Integration

Using maps is an integral part of our life especially in our digital era whether it is for navigation, used in geographic information system,resources monitoring, surveying and many others. The pace of technological progress in the mapping sensors is rapidly accelerating. LIDAR sensors and optical sensors are two different types of mapping sensors. LIDAR and Optical sensors have their strengths and limitations. The integration between the LIDAR and optical sensors can boost the strengths of both while greatly mitigating the limitations. The advances in the sensors technology allow a higher rate and volume of data acquisition. GPS and inertial measurement unit IMU(used for sensor orientation) are also sensors that have to be integrated adding to the integration challenge. A careful and smart integration scheme is required to build an efficient low-cost mapping system. TO BE CONT’D