Innovative Projects Realized

Topology validation, Error detection, and Correction of rooftops 3D models from LiDAR point clouds and Photogrammetry

The last few years have seen a tremendous increase of the collection and use of LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) data for 3D modeling of cities, forest surveys and autonomous driving. In the context of 3D cities, buildings are reconstructed separately, sometimes with the help of aerial images. The accuracy assessment of these 3D models is not straightforward. However, end-point users need to know how reliable the models are for using them for tasks such as roofing quotes and solar installations design. The aim of this research is to design a reliable method for validating the rooftop model structure and its quality, and for automatically diagnose potential errors. Their localization will allow the design of auto-correction rules for improving the models.TO BE CONT’d

L’impact des changements climatiques sur l’industrie du ski alpin au Québec : une analyse économique de la perte de bien-être des skieurs

Le projet de recherche proposé est une analyse économique des impacts des changements climatiques sur la satisfaction des skieurs dans l’industrie du ski alpin au Québec. Les changements climatiques affectent grandement l’industrie du ski alpin, principalement en raison d’une dégradation de la qualité des conditions de ski et d’une réduction du nombre de jours skiable, le tout ayant pour conséquence d’affecter la satisfaction des skieurs. Ce projet de recherche vise donc à quantifier la perte de satisfaction que subissent les skieurs et à projeter cette perte de satisfaction jusqu’en 2050 selon plusieurs scénarios climatiques. Ce faisant, cette recherche complètera la littérature existante sur les effets des changements climatiques sur l’industrie du ski alpin ainsi que l’étude en cours par Ouranos, le tout permettant une vision plus complète des conséquences des changements climatiques.

Evaluating the effectiveness of video as a medium of delivery and consumption of large quantity of digital information

The goal of the project is to evaluate the effectiveness of video as medium of delivery and consumption of large quantity of digital information. The team will create an automated way to generate videos for properties and rental information so as to reduce costs on manual video creation and build user profiles based on smart questions to present tailored information based on users’ needs in a video format. Through researching, implementing technologies, designing analytics tools and developing a prototype we hope to evaluate the effectiveness of dynamic video information delivery. The benefit to Roomview Technologies Inc. is relevance through innovation in understanding user behavior and improving user experience to be competitive in the market.

Ecology, Conservation and Welfare of Captive and Wild Animals

Animal welfare and behaviour is a concern in captivity but is also a factor affecting conservation success. An animal ability to cope with stressors, which varies between and within species, can affect survival of individuals and compromise a population’s viability. Human-induced stressors impact individuals differently depending on their personality, which applies to captive and wild settings. Ignoring this variation in animal behaviour can diminish the efficacy of costly conservation plan or, even worse, permanently alter the survival probability of a species by artificially selecting some behaviour trait or lead a population toward domestication. This project’s goal is to evaluate the adaptive value of different personality facing human induced stress in captivity and in the wild.

Advanced Modeling for Diagnostics and Optimization of Oil Wells

Several thousand new pumpjacks are installed in Alberta oil fields each year. Hence, for obvious reasons, developing

efficient Pump-jack technology is important to the oil and gas community. The project investigates the process and control

systems with particular applications in dynamic modeling of oil and gas well pump-jacks which is also known as the

sucker-rod pumping systems. The objective of the MITACS Accelerate Internship is to develop a robust data- driven, realtime

modeling methodology of pump-jack systems using the data of the gathering downhole well characteristics. The

information from the developed real-time monitoring system will play an important role in designing and implementing

suitable control schemes to optimize the pump-jack process. The anticipated results will be potentially useful to oil and gas

industry in developing an efficient pump-jack system so that the productivity can be maximized.

Évaluation et évolution des services écosystémiques dans la région de Québec

Le projet vise à évaluer la valeur de la biodiversité, des écosystèmes et de la végétation de l’agglomération de Québec afin de créer des indicateurs de planification stratégique face aux impacts des changements climatiques. Le projet se décline en trois activités de recherche spécifiques. D’abord, pour identifier la valeur des écosystèmes et de la biodiversité, une démarche combinant analyse cartographique et analyse economiquepermettra de mesurer la valeur du capital naturel (i.e. forêts et boisés, milieux humides, friches, agroécosystèmes) par le truchement des services écosystémiques qu’ils génèrent (e.g. séquestration de carbone, réduction des surverses, contrôle des eaux de ruissellement, réduction des îlots de chaleur, pollinisation, activités récréotouristiques). Ensuite, la deuxième étape vise à mesurer les services fournis par les arbres urbains de la ville de Québec et à les quantifier monétairement. TO BE CONT’D

Evaluation of Alternative Battery Technologies for Adoption in Manitoba Hydro Substations

This project will investigate the applicability and merits of battery chemistries for use in a utility substation, where longevity, reliability, and security are prime considerations. The project aims to characterize the process of battery aging when batteries are used under representative utility substation loading profiles in order to determine how fast the batteries will age and what signatures may be used to determine how close the batteries are to the end of their life so that pro-active maintenance work may be initiated. The findings of the project will be instrumental in enabling Manitoba Hydro and other utilities to gain an in-depth understanding of alternative battery technologies and to save cost and resources when such substation batteries are installed.

Establishing the Validity and Reliability of a Novel Wearable Physical Activity Monitoring System for Older Adults

Wearable physical activity monitors have become increasingly commonplace as commercial fitness products. However, current devices can be expensive and cannot accurately measure activity for older adults. Xerus, Inc. has recently built an affordable activity tracking system able to measure physical activity levels in older adults. However, the accuracy of Xerus activity tracking monitor has not been tested. Thus, the objective of this study is to determine the accuracy of the Xerus activity monitor to measure physical activity in older adults while performing mobility tasks. These tasks include walking on a treadmill at different speeds, a six-minute walking test and walking up and down stairs. The results will determine the accuracy of Xerus activity monitor and its readiness for clinical use.

Understanding the cellular mechanisms sustaining functional capacity improvement with prehabilitation in colorectal cancer patients

Cancer is associated with weight loss, decreased muscle strength and inflammation. This has a tremendous impact on daily activity, autonomy and quality of life, involving both patients and care-givers. I previously worked on a preoperative intervention called ‘pre-habilitation’, a personalized exercise and nutritional supplementation delivered before surgery. The main idea is to prevent postoperative complications utilizing the time before surgery to put the patient in a better physical, nutritional and emotional state. In previous studies, I have shown that, with pre-habilitation, patients can undergo surgery in a better condition and recover faster. My future directions point towards the understanding of the cellular mechanism sustaining pre-habilitation. I plan to study mitochondria, the small organelles that play a key role in muscle deconditioning and inflammation, in muscle biopsies before and after intervention. Understanding the molecular mechanisms to favor faster recovery from surgery for cancer is a must needed in oncologic care.

Étude du comportement hydrodynamique et diphasique d’un classificateur à lit fluidisé

Le projet a pour but d’analyser le comportement d’un fluide diphasique, mélange de bauxite et d’eau, dans un classificateur à fond plat soumis à l’effet de plusieurs paramètres. Une étude expérimentale utilisant un classificateur à échelle réduite permet d’effectuer les mesures de fraction solide (pourcentage de solide dans l’échantillon) aux sorties du classificateur, des vitesses à l’intérieur du classificateur prise par méthode optique, ainsi que d’observer le comportement du fluide diphasique et particulièrement du lit fluidisé présent dans le bas du classificateur. Une étude numérique consiste à développer un modèle CFD (computer fluid dynamics) qui représente l’écoulement d’un fluide diphasique (solide-liquide) composé d’une plage granulométrique (répartition des particules selon leur taille) variée afin d’en observer le comportement et de calculer les paramètres de sortie. TO BE CONT’D

Étude d’utilisabilité d’un outil de détection de bugs d’affichage dans les sites web

Les sites et les applications web contiennent souvent des bugs d’affichage : boutons mal placés ou non fonctionnels, éléments partiellement cachés par d’autres, etc. Ces bugs peut relever d’un simple problème esthétique, ou, de manière plus sévère, compromettre la fonctionnalité de l’application. Le logiciel Cornipickle, développé par une équipe de chercheurs de l’UQAC, permet de s’assurer que les pages d’une application respectent toutes sortes de contraintes quant au positionnement de leurs éléments, de leur séquence possible, etc. Cornipickle peut également pointer dans l’application les éléments qui sont fautifs, ce qui pourrait potentiellement permettre à un développeur de gagner beaucoup de temps lors de la recherche des problèmes. L’objectif du projet consiste à déterminer l’applicabilité de Cornipickle au processus de développement d’une application web réelle en enterprise.

Improving Outcome by Optimizing Illumination (IOOI) Study

Insufficient and mistimed artificial lighting within the hospital environment can disrupt circadian rhythms, adversely affecting patients’ sleep, mood, and recovery. In collaboration with BC Hydro, we will run a study at the Burnaby Center for Mental Health and Addictions to test whether controlled 24-hour lighting with enhanced daytime brightness and restricted nocturnal light exposure can help regulate the circadian cycle and improve the sleep and psychological well-being of patients with concurrent disorder (co-occurring substance abuse disorder and mental health disorder). Throughout the study period (consisting of four weeks standard lighting and four weeks cycled lighting), participants will wear a Fitbit and light sensor and maintain a daily sleep log to track the timing, duration and quality of sleep. Also, participants will fill out a questionnaire assessing their mood, stress, impulsiveness and pain in both, the standard and cycled lighting phases. TO BE CONT’D