Innovative Projects Realized

TRLUP – Automatic Braking System for Walkers

The purpose of this project is to expand on an automatic walker braking system prototype. The system is intended to cause the medical walker to brake during sit-to-stand, stand-to-sit, and loss of contact situations through the help of sensors and motors. Currently, the system in functioning reasonably well but could use improvements from an accuracy, reliability, and modularity perspective. Furthermore, other features such as health monitoring systems could be added for further health benefits as well as exploring the potential for commercialization. Edmonton Unlimited is the partner organization for this project and is known to support many entrepreneurs, early businesses, and researchers, in bringing opportunities for innovation. The purpose of the organization is to bring recognition to the innovation community within Edmonton and contribute to the city. Based on this, supporting this project aligns with their goal. Providing support to projects like this is exactly what the organization is known for and what they are trying to do.

Complete Lifestyle Management Program Intervention

Hospital-associated disability (HAD) occurs when patients are admitted to the hospital for acute treatment, but experience an extended stay resulting in reduced functional independence (1,2). Approximately one third of older adults will become disabled as an unintended consequence of hospital admission, resulting in a significantly increased risk of being institutionalized after discharge (1–4). Frail older adults are at a higher risk of functional decline, increased length of stay, delirium, and increased morbidity and mortality (1,5). Functional decline is measured by the loss of at least one activity of daily living (ADL) which negatively impacts quality of life and can result in patients being transitioned to an alternate level of care (ALC) designation (6). Maintaining and increasing mobility while in hospital is believed to significantly impact the patient’s ability to retain functional independence during hospital admission. Acute care inpatients will sometimes remain in bed for all or most of the day, even for meals. This is especially true when barriers such as pain, medical lines/tubes, and reduced strength are present. This study will investigate the impact of having a dedicated mobility staff to support regular patient mobilization/transfer out of bed at mealtimes for geriatric acute-care inpatients.

Introducing Language Documentation to EFL Learners: a Project-Based Curriculum

Almost half of the languages spoken in the world today are in danger of disappearing, and the human and financial resources devoted to the documentation and revitalization of vulnerable languages are nowhere near enough to meet the need. In contrast, English is a required subject worldwide and English Language Teaching (ELT) is a multi-billion-dollar industry. This project aims to make English part of the solution to the problem of language loss by leveraging the abundant resources available to ELT to support vulnerable languages which are often neglected in formal education. This will be accomplished through a project-based English as a Foreign Language (EFL) curriculum which introduces the principles and methods of language documentation and culminates in a group project involving the local language(s). This innovative curriculum follows current best practices in ELT by incorporating culturally sustaining, asset-based, and multilingual pedagogies. The research site for the implementation and evaluation of this curriculum is Benito Juárez Autonomous University of Oaxaca in the linguistically diverse city of Oaxaca, Mexico. The adaptable curriculum is designed to be customized for each individual context and can be used in a variety of educational settings.

Radicare Ventures – Collaboration between Bill Zheng and C3 Lab

RadiCare Ventures is looking for a summer intern to work on expanding the current Customer Resource Management (CRM) technology and a centralized data collection platform. This may include researching and building out a CRM, aggregating and automating current data collection processes and report generation systems, and also working with management to explore areas of key interest where the company wants to expand technologically. The research activities that the intern will engage in, includes a technology assessment to investigate what existing processes we can automate, what can be offloaded to existing tech services, and what can be solved in-house with new technology implementations. As RadiCare Ventures’ current website is only partially built, the intern will complete and optimize the website so that is fully functional for client access and outreach. This will also include some introductory SEO work. This ties directly into the project’s broader goals around improving digital infrastructure and automation.

Dual opportunity and risk of LLM-based language translation in international institutions

In accordance with the Digital Policy Hub research foci on artificial intelligence, as well as digitization, security and democracy, the underlying purpose of the project is to research the limitations of language translation technologies in order to suggest updated policy for international institutions to responsibly use them. This directly supports the Digital Policy Hub’s objective to “generate greater understanding in the public, private and non-profit spheres, of how diverse emerging transformative technologies interact with existing governance frameworks that seek to prioritize digital ethics and rights responsibilities, both in Canada and internationally.” Analyzing Large Language Model-based tools from a critical linguistics perspective will aid to better understand the degree of accuracy achieved by emerging translation technologies. Reporting on the findings and discussing them at the Hub’s research conferences contributes to the Hub’s objective to “contribute to the development of the Digital Policy Hub itself, through showcasing reports, discussions, and events produced by researchers to the broader community; and through fostering an environment that positions Fellows as future policy and decision-makers.”

Effect of stilbenoid extracts from viticulture by-products on grape quality

The project “Effect of stilbenoid extracts from viticulture by-products on grape quality” aims to contribute to the development of sustainable strategies for grape production in vineyards. Grapevines are susceptible to parasitic diseases and thus are conventionally treated with synthetic or copper-based solutions, with significant environmental drawbacks. Studies have shown that stilbenoids possess potential as a natural biopesticides against fungal diseases in vineyards. These compounds are present in various grapevine by-products, such as canes. However, there is a limited knowledge regarding effects of stilbenoid extract applications on grape quality. Understanding these effects is a crucial step toward developing stilbenoid-based plant protection products for vineyard use. The project’s main objective is to access the impact of applying green, stilbenoid-rich extracts as biopesticides to grapevines at different stages of grape ripening on the quality of grapes at harvest. Project’s results will contribute to valorization of viticulture by-products (canes) while reducing the reliance on chemical pesticides in vineyards by the use of environmentally friendly stilbenoid extracts. Considering the scientific complementarity of the two teams the collaboration will also lay the ground for a long-term academic collaboration between the two prestigious institutions (ISVV, UB and WRC, UBC) and benefit the wine sector in both countries.

PEP – Patient Empowerment Programs

Nearly half of adults live with at least one of the top ten chronic conditions—such as hypertension, osteoarthritis, or diabetes—and two in five people can expect a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime. These conditions are among the leading causes of morbidity worldwide, significantly reducing quality of life and increasing the risk of mental health challenges such as depression and anxiety.

While medical treatments continue to advance, the healthcare system is increasingly strained, and a critical gap remains in patient support during and after care—particularly in education, behaviour change, and long-term self-management. Many people report unmet needs and lack access to health-promoting information in areas such as nutrition, physical activity, stress reduction, intimacy, and opportunities for social connection.

Our solution: the Personal / Patient Empowerment Program (PEP), an evidence-based intervention and platform that empowers individuals living with cancer or chronic disease through a structured, mind-body lifestyle program. This holistic approach targets key pillars of survivorship care while fostering a supportive community to build self-efficacy and promote long-term well-being.

This comprehensive, home-based, six-month daily health-promotion program is scalable, accessible, and easy for healthcare providers to recommend. As survivorship and chronic disease rates rise, so does the demand for tools that extend care beyond the medical system.

Supply Chain Publishing Network

The Alberta Chambers of Commerce (ACC) has completed the development phase of the Alberta Supply Chain Publishing Network—an innovative digital platform designed to modernize how Alberta businesses connect, share data, and build resilient, localized supply chains.

This solution represents a major step forward in supply chain innovation, enabling businesses to publish standardized information, access real-time market intelligence, and respond more effectively to disruptions. It also provides policymakers and researchers with a valuable data stream to support better decision-making and future AI-driven supply chain tools.

With the technical infrastructure in place, ACC is now focused on the critical next phase: business onboarding and activation. Targeted outreach through the Alberta Perspectives network and the Chamber network is identifying early adopters across the province.

To ensure businesses of all sizes, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), can benefit, dedicated support is essential. Many SMEs require hands-on guidance to successfully onboard, publish their data, and fully leverage the platform’s capabilities to grow their market presence and resilience.

The Supply Chain Project Coordinator role is essential to this activation phase. The Coordinator will:

*Provide onboarding support and technical assistance.
*Assist businesses with data formatting and publishing.
*Promote open data standards and innovative publishing practices.
*Troubleshoot technical challenges.
*Gather feedback to enhance onboarding processes.
*Amplify engagement through Chamber communications.

Without a dedicated Coordinator, business activation would be significantly slower, limiting the platform’s immediate economic and innovation impacts.
Funding for the Supply Chain Project Coordinator ensures Alberta’s businesses can embrace this digital infrastructure, strengthening resiliency, driving economic growth, and positioning Alberta as a leader in supply chain innovation.

Junior Associate | B-Side Group Consulting Inc

B-Side Group is launching an operational excellence initiative aimed at significantly enhancing our firm’s scalability, efficiency, and client service quality. The primary objectives of this initiative include mapping and standardizing key workflows, developing automated tools and templates to streamline administrative processes, and establishing a centralized repository for firm-wide knowledge management.

This project will deliver clear, measurable improvements in productivity by automating routine tasks such as reporting, scheduling, and communications. It will also create interactive dashboards to track key performance metrics, client satisfaction, and operational effectiveness in real time. Additionally, the project will institutionalize continuous improvement through structured client feedback processes and internal performance benchmarking.

Ultimately, this initiative is designed to remove operational barriers to growth, strengthen our competitive advantage, and support our mission of providing world-class strategic consulting services to innovative startups and scale-ups.

Lie Group Harmonic and Statistical Analysis of Human Movement

Statistical and harmonic analysis of 3-dimensional motions of objects or humans are instrumental to establish how
these motions differ, depending on various influences. When such motions involve no tearing, they may be described
by elements of the Euclidean Group. Algorithms developed in the author’s Ph.D. dissertation exploit the unique properties of Conformal Geometric Algebra to carry out such analyses efficiently by computer, despite complications resulting from the basic properties of the group; for example, the arithmetic average of two rotations is not a rotation. This project combines these methods with harmonic analysis, also formulated using Conformal Geometric Algebra, to permit statistical estimation of the rotational axes and frequencies of the periodic components of 3-dimensional motions. This will considerably enrich the analytical tools already developed by the author. The end goal is to make the extended package available to a wide variety of researchers, clinicians and commercial users.

Conséquences de l’implantation d’un projet en intelligence artificielle

La Ville de Laval intègre de plus en plus l’intelligence artificielle (IA) dans ses processus administratifs pour améliorer l’efficacité de ses services. Toutefois, elle dispose de peu d’outils pour évaluer concrètement les impacts de ces projets sur la performance organisationnelle, le travail des employés ou la satisfaction des citoyens. En partenariat avec HEC Montréal, ce projet vise à développer un outil d’évaluation adapté aux réalités du milieu municipal. En s’appuyant sur l’analyse de deux projets IA récents, l’étudiante stagiaire identifiera des indicateurs pertinents, tant du point de vue opérationnel qu’humain, et testera leur application sur le terrain. Ce projet contribuera à renforcer les capacités internes de la Ville en matière de pilotage et de suivi de ses initiatives technologiques. Il pourra aussi inspirer d’autres municipalités à adopter une approche plus structurée, responsable et orientée vers la valeur citoyenne dans l’intégration de l’IA.

Monitoring recovery dynamics of salt marsh pools with focus on their habitat provisioning to fish

Salt marshes are highly productive coastal ecosystems that have faced extensive impacts from human activities. They provide an extensive array of services including the provisioning of habitat to a diversity of species. In Maritime Canada, acres of salt marsh have been diked to accommodate agricultural land, freshwater impoundments, and infrastructure. Increasing recognition of the services provided by salt marshes coupled with degrading and failing dike systems has sparked interest in restoring these areas back to their original state. Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) has initiated a number of salt marsh restorations across Maritime Canada. The proposed internship will monitor the response of salt marsh pools in five of DUC’s salt marsh restorations in this region. Salt pools provide critical aquatic refuge to fish and invertebrates during periods of low tide. The intern will sample the fish and aquatic invertebrate communities and measure various abiotic conditions in salt pools in restoring salt marshes and in nearby natural salt marshes. Comparing faunal communities and abiotic conditions in salt pools between restoring and natural marshes is crucial to understanding how this subhabitat progresses through restoration. This information will be useful to DUC for predicting salt marsh restoration trajectories and improving restoration strategies.