Innovative Projects Realized

The Biomechanical Differences between the SideStix? Crutch and a Traditional Forearm Crutch

Many people with physical disabilities depend on forearm crutches to help them walk. Although forearm crutches are helpful, many people experience overuse injuries as a result of using the forearm crutch. Injuries to the wrists, elbows and shoulders are commonly experienced with long-term use of the forearm crutch. The research project will examine differences between the traditional forearm crutch and a newly developed SideStix? crutch. The SideStix?crutch has been developed with a spring-like device and rotating footpads. It is hypothesized that the new crutch will effectively change body movement while crutch walking while reducing the impact on the body. SideStix? Ventures Inc. will greatly benefit from this project by understanding how their crutch influences walking and it may reduce overuse injuries.

Improving the Detection of Performance Regressions with Change Point Detection Methods

As software systems evolve, the software performance has to be constantly monitored to ensure that systems are responsive and economically sustainable. Companies like Mozilla have dedicated teams and an automated workflow to detect performance regression. However, due to the nature of performance measurements, the automatic detection of regressions is bound to flag issues falsely, which makes the performance team waste investigation time, and miss actual regressions, which could impact end users.

This research project aims to explore the state-of-the-art methods in change point detection (CPD) to improve the accuracy of Mozilla’s performance detection system. We plan to create a real-world dataset of validated performance alerts, explore the efficacy of multiple CPD methods on Mozilla’s data, and integrate the best techniques in Mozilla’s detection system. A more effective performance regression detection system would improve team productivity, enabling them to focus their efforts on fixing real performance anomalies, ultimately making the company’s products better and more responsive.

Évaluation longitudinale des impacts d’essais de vélo à assistance électrique (VAE)

(1) Équiterre est une ONG canadienne opérant au Québec. Sa mission est de promouvoir des objectifs écologiques, équitables et sociaux. Elle mène de nombreuses activités pour promouvoir ces objectifs auprès des citoyens, des organisations et des gouvernements. Équiterre a plus de 25 ans d’expérience dans la sensibilisation et la mobilisation pour le développement durable. Le programme « Vélovolt » s’inscrit dans ce plan stratégique avec une vision à long terme du transport durable.
(2) Dans le cadre du programme Vélovolt (Phase 2 – 2025-2027), Équiterre mène une campagne d’essais de vélos à assistance électrique (VAE) à travers le Québec afin de favoriser un transfert modal de l’automobile vers le transport actif, réduire les émissions de GES et améliorer la santé publique. Le programme permet à des employés des organisations participantes de faire des essais de VAE en libre-service (< 48h) et/ou de longue durée (1 à 4 semaines). Ce projet Mitacs vise à offrir une assistance méthodologique à Équiterre afin de réaliser un rigoureux processus d’évaluation des impacts de ces essais sur les participants et les organisations. (3) Le transport est un secteur majeur qui doit être ciblé pour atteindre les objectifs de réduction de GES du Québec et du Canada. L’adoption des VAE comme mode de transport alternatif à la voiture privée demeure marginale. Le projet permettra à Équiterre de récolter des données probantes sur les impacts de la campagne d’essais et sur le potentiel d’adoption du VAE dans divers contextes afin de formuler des recommandations de politiques publiques ambitieuses pour soutenir la réduction de GES dans le secteur des transports.

An Accessible AI Companion for Older Adults and Caregivers

Garrison?Care in partnership with Sheridan College’s Centre for Applied AI (CAAI) will develop Ask?SarAi, an AI powered tech support and home care companion that delivers plain language, Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) compliant guidance through a web based conversational interface. Ask?SarAi helps older adults independently manage smart home and health devices, such as setting up blood pressure monitors, using voice assistants, and detecting potential scams, while safeguarding privacy under a Privacy by Design model. Co designed with caregivers, Personal Support Workers (PSWs), social workers, and older users, it combines a structured knowledge base, a high fidelity prototype, and a co created training manual to establish best practices in accessible conversational design, modular information architecture, and cognitive load sensitive interfaces. The deliverables include an AODA aligned design system, usability feedback report, style guide, and research white paper aimed at empowering end users, reduce caregiver burden, and generate replicable insights for scalable integration into both institutional and home care settings.

Studio d’enregistrement nomade et recherche-création participative; vers un eethnomusicologie appliquée

Conscient des difficultés auxquelles font face de nombreux musiciens, ingénieurs du son et réalisateurs dans différents pays (et convaincu de l’importance de l’engagement du chercheur auprès des populations étudiées), je souhaite développer à travers mes recherches postdoctorales une structure qui fasse le pont entre recherche ethnomusicologique, création musicale et engagement social. Pour ce faire, il s’agit de réaliser une série d’enregistrements musicaux à travers le monde, à l’aide d’un studio nomade, avant de les travailler en laboratoire (au LARC, à l’Université Laval), pour ensuite les diffuser via des réseaux commerciaux établis par l’entreprise La Hacienda Creative, spécialisée dans la post-production audionumérique. Dans cette perspective, l’objectif principal de ce projet postdoctoral est de créer une plateforme de recherchecréation
visant à décloisonner l’expérience de recherche ethnomusicologique. Cette structure servira de cadre expérimental utile au renforcement des relations de réciprocité entre chercheurs, musiciens et réalisateurs provenant des différents pays visités.

Developing a newly tunable Phase-Mask Interferometer for Fiber Bragg Grating inscription – Year two

Fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) have attracted considerable interest in the past three decades as a key technology in different applications. The intention of this project is to develop a FBG writing technique based on a scanning tunable Phase-Mask Interferometer using different UV lasers. The project includes optimizing the tunability of the interferometer, and analyzing the specific problem situations encountered in the process in order to develop the interrogation methods of the proposed technique. The candidate will improve the flexibility and the ease of use of the device to fabricate different types of FBGs and to adapt many FBGs based applications. Also, the candidate will design the strategic planning of the product to the particular circumstances. The project helps the partner to offer a wider selection to the target customers taking particular pride in more efficient services such as special orders as well as a stable, and knowledgeable sales.

Investigating food web rewiring under drought

Human activities are modifying the planet in many ways, via climate change, land use change, and environmental contamination. This is accelerating species extinction across the tree of life. Safeguarding biodiversity requires an accurate understanding of how nature is organized—species interact with each other in complex networks, such as when a predator consumes a prey, or a pollinator visits a flower. If one species disappears from the system—or begins behaving in novel ways—this can have a ripple effect across the network. This project investigates how climate change rewires ecological networks due species extinctions and novel predatory behaviour. This project will use an emergent method, amino acid stable isotope analysis, to robustly measure dietary shifts, and document the resilience of biodiversity to drought intensification in a biodiversity hotspot.

Feasibility and Usability Testing of a Digital Reminiscence Platform

This project will test and improve Voiced Memories, a Canadian-made digital storytelling tool designed for older adults and caregivers. The platform allows people to pair personal photos with recorded voice stories, creating “digital memory galleries” that can be revisited, shared, and used to spark conversation. The research will take place in two settings: Memory Cafés powered by Voiced Memories, group storytelling sessions in community or care settings. Home use, where individuals or families use the platform on their own to share family memories. An intern will work with older adults, caregivers, and program facilitators to see how easy the platform is to use, how it makes people feel, and how it can best be delivered. Feedback will be gathered through observation, surveys, and short interviews. The results will help the company refine the design and features, improve training for facilitators, and strengthen delivery for both group and home settings. By making storytelling more accessible and enjoyable, the project aims to help older adults stay mentally active, emotionally connected, and socially included, while positioning Voiced Memories for wider adoption in Canada’s healthy aging sector.

Developing a newly tunable Phase-Mask Interferometer for Fiber Bragg Grating inscription

Fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) have attracted considerable interest in the past three decades as a key technology in different applications. The intention of this project is to develop a FBG writing technique based on a scanning tunable Phase-Mask Interferometer using different UV lasers. The project includes optimizing the tunability of the interferometer, and analyzing the specific problem situations encountered in the process in order to develop the interrogation methods of the proposed technique. The candidate will improve the flexibility and the ease of use of the device to fabricate different types of FBGs and to adapt many FBGs based applications. Also, the candidate will design the strategic planning of the product to the particular circumstances. The project helps the partner to offer a wider selection to the target customers taking particular pride in more efficient services such as special orders as well as a stable, and knowledgeable sales.

Sunless Tanning Product Development – Spa Dent – F2025

SD will be undertaking a large development project for new sunless tanning products. This will involve the formulation, sample preparation, brand approval, assay method development, and stability testing of 15 products. An expertise in chemistry, formulation, and cosmetics would allow for SD to develop these products for sale in the North American market in the timeline presented. There are 15 unique sunless tanning formulas that are to be developed over a 12-week period. These formulas include 6 tanning drops, 3 tanning mousses, 4 hydrating lotions, and 2 tanning sprayers. A successful internship will result in the development of 15 new sunless tanning products. These products will allow for SD to expand within the North American market. A successful internship will also have the intern play a pivotal role in developing both analytical testing methods, as well as innovative manufacturing procedures alongside the R&D Manager and Production Engineering team. This project will bring additional manufacturing opportunities to the Canadian market through the creation of new Canadian sunless tanning products as part of a partnership with a brand that distributes across North America. This project will support SD further expanding in both the domestic and international markets, with a potential growth into European markets with these products after the conclusion of this project. As part of this project, SD aims to enhance their productivity and rapidly grow their manufacturing capabilities of sunless tanning products. SD aims to accomplish this through the development of improved manufacturing processes for the products developed as part of this project.

Horizon Business Analytics Internship

Interns will work within the Business Analytics team to build and optimize reports and dashboards to monitor performance indicators related to the Health network

AI-Assisted Information Retrieval for Network Operations Centres

This project aims to make it easier for people to access valuable information stored in complex company databases—without needing to know technical coding languages like SQL. Today, many employees and customers can’t easily search these databases because doing so requires specialized skills, which creates delays and extra training costs. Our research will explore ways to use advanced artificial intelligence, specifically Large Language Models (LLMs), to let users simply type questions in everyday language and receive accurate answers directly from the database. We will focus on improving both the accuracy and reliability of this “Text-to-SQL” technology so that it works consistently in real-world settings. For the partner organization, this means faster access to information, more efficient workflows, and the ability for a wider range of staff and customers to make data-driven decisions. In the long run, this project can help the company save time, lower costs, and create tools that can benefit many other industries facing similar challenges.