Innovative Projects Realized

Does the fetal short-term variability measure RMSSD reflect the fetal inflammatory status and can RMMSD be reliably recorded using a novel ultrasound fetal heart rate monitoring system?

A certain number of newborn babies may suffer from infection. Many of such infections go unnoticed but may have negative effects on child's health. There is currently no satisfying means to detect such babies early on. We have learned that using information contained in fetal heart beats we might better predict if a yet unborn baby has an infection. This would allow to intervene and prevent problems with baby's health after birth. We would like to learn more about how to acquire such information from fetal heart beats. We want to compare a well established device to record fetal heart beats during labour to a new one that would allow us to measure fetal heart beats in unborn babies. The partner organization would benefit by being able to offer the new device for this new indication of monitoring fetal wellbeing, a win-win situation for the patients and the company.

Software radios for highly integrated system architecture

The project aims to establish new design methods and digital signal processing techniques allowing robust and efficient universal navigation and communication equipment in the fields of aeronautics and aerospace. New avionic standards are under study and strong arguments exist for the adoption of software defined radios at this point of time. The project anticipates the integration of multiple navigation and communication systems in a single hardware element minimizing space, part count, avionic weight that addresses more directly airspace management needs, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emission in the framework of international environmental initiatives. The aeronautic and aerospace industries strive for an approach using a single generic reprogrammable and universal system allowing  replacement of multiple and burdensome radios/antennas presently in use. The proposed system will permit simultaneous functionalities of multiple systems accommodated on a flexible integration platform suitable for future applications. The project will consist of:  distance measuring equipment (DME), Mode S transponder and wideband digital radio, including ADS-B, built with novel software defined architecture proximal to the antenna. The architecture enables the capability to redeploy functionality based on phase of flight and minimizes connectors, antennas, cable length, electromagnetic interference (EMI) and system footprint. The goal is to convert to digital, the radiofrequency (RF) signal, close to the antenna and to transmit the baseband signal to a generic radio for further digital signal processing. The proposed software defined radio (SDR) topology will address different embedded system applications. The proof-of-concept demonstrator will be evaluated in-laboratory and in-flight using simulation equipment and a flight test platform under real operating conditions. This will validates protocols and system performance with ground and airborne infrastructure. The project will contribute to international initiatives for the definition of new standards and contribute to Canadian efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and create new employment opportunities for the team of highly qualified personnel.

This project will ultimately benefit the partner’s organizations by providing the knowledge and knowhow on how to use software defined radio technology in an aircraft environment. 

Silica Breccia Supplementary Cement Material Key Properties

The project is focusing on developing a silica breccia product having a superior reactivity that allows this product to be used widely as an alternative supplementary cementing material in cement mixtures. The new developed silica breccia product will be tested for effectiveness as a supplementary cementing material based on the Canadian Standard Association (CSA) test methods prior to acceptance. Tests on other common supplementary cementing material such as fly ash, silica fume, and metakaolin will also be conducted on counterpart specimens for comparison. The partner organization will gain valuable insight about the performance of different silica breccia genesis in cement mixtures. The project will aid the partner organization to optimize their product development processes and help them achieve their business goals.

This research project was undertaken and completed with a grant from and the financial assistance of Petroleum Research Newfoundland & Labrador.

Multi-objective Topology Optimization of an Automotive Cradle

A cradle is a separate structure from automotive chassis, which is used to support the powertrain and suspension system. With the application of cradle structure, the noise and vibration transmitted to passengers will be reduced and the stiffness of attachments will be increased. In other words, the riding comfort and the product reliability are improved. The research project is to design and optimize an automotive cradle considering five dominant performance requirements: local static stiffness, crashworthiness, NVH, durability and weight. Multi-objective optimization method will be used to find the optimum designs and their trade-offs. Topology optimization will be introduced into the early design phase to determine the material distribution, which could depend less on experience and give an objective and effective preliminary structure. Size optimization will then be implemented to determine the thickness of the cradle sections in a detailed design phase. By using this advanced optimization, the design period would be shortened, experience-dependency would be decreased, and the cost of time and labor would be lowered.

Optimization of algorithms for real-time digital slide viewing

Digital microscopy is an emerging field of research, especially as pathology, a clinical field that involves routine use of the microscopy, is the last standing field to go digital in medicine. Digitizing pathology reduces the cost and time of pathology analysis, improves patient care, and allows pathologists to diagnose from anywhere. The goal of the project is to optimize image processing algorithms that are involved in our unique real-time digital microscopy technology. The project encompasses three fields of computer science research: Computer Vision, Computer Graphics, and High Performance Computing. The intern is expected to build upon recent developments in these three emerging fields to engineer novel algorithms to optimize the process of digitizing slides under the microscope.

Study on the Frequency Response of Overhead Transmission Lines

The goal of this project is to research and develop a model that is suitable for BC Hydro’s application to predict the sag of a power transmission line from its induced frequency response. Transmission lines always elongate over time due to the temperature of the conductor. The ability to monitor and obtain the shape of transmission lines is one of the most important tools in evaluating power transmission line’s effectiveness in operation, maintenance and the most important, safety. This project will be done by doing a thorough literature survey and using existing models on cable dynamics with appropriate assumptions, and then apply these models to transmission lines vibrational pattern.

New Orthogonal Polynomials and their Applications

We propose development and validation of novel mathematical tools which can be used for information processing for object and/or model identification and detection within decision support systems (DSS) in various decision frameworks such as situation assessment and analysis, genetic modeling and analysis, medical imaging, etc. The project will have two main novel contributions: (1) introducing new families of polynomials and (2) the discretization of old and new polynomials. Specifically, in the proposed research, symmetries of n dimensional lattices for defining families of orthogonal functions and orthogonal polynomials will be exploited in order to be used in n dimensional Fourier analysis in digital

and analog signal processing, as well as in object and pattern recognition methods. The aforementioned symmetries have been recently linked to knot symmetries and to DNA properties, [BPP]. The project aims at better in-depth understanding the of these relations which will further lead to fundamental contributions in knot theory and group theory and their various practical applications. The proposed research is of an immediate interest to the partner organization OODA Technologies Inc. since one of their principal activities is research and development of tools for DSS. Furthermore, the research pertaining to this project involves our results obtained within Pseudodifferential Operator Theory and Seismic Images (POTSI) project, [MP], in which OODA Technologies Inc. has already been involved. Together with the research conducted within another cluster project in which OODA Technologies is participating (with Laval University, DRDC and MITACS) this project answers and complements the needs not only of OODA Technologies Inc, but also of Defense Research and Development of Canada (DRDC).

Architecture and National Identity: The Centennial Projects 50 years on

The intern will participate in a variety of activities related to research and analysis related to building programs carried out by various levels of government in connection with Canada’s Centennial of Confederation in 1967. The research will include literature review, archival research, project documentation and analysis, and collection and interpretation of project data, and will contribute to the preparation of grant proposals to major funding agencies. The intern will participate in the collection, organization and storage of material, along with preliminary analysis of the material for discussion with the investigators. Analysis will involve qualitative evaluation of the subject projects, and the intern will be instructed in the development of a clear, consistent and rigorous assessment methodology. This experience will provide opportunities for the development and enhancement of practical and logistical expertise, and the content component of the work will expose the intern to a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between cultural policy and architecture during the period of study.

A system for explainable recommendations

This research aims to develop a system that generates explainable recommendations. Mobio currently allows merchants to offer items to users, but does not employ recent advances in recommender systems. This project will allow Mobio to build on the expertise of Dr. Chiang in related relational learning problems to create such a system, and provide a real-world domain for him to advance the state-of-the-art. A core problem in recommender systems is building models of user preference that are predictive and explainable. We propose to apply and evaluate algorithms developed by Dr. Chiang to build models that are optimized for accuracy, explainable to users, and recommend offers from merchants to the most appropriate users. The expected outcomes of this work include (i) enhanced user engagement through explainable recommendations, and (ii) improved effectiveness of offers by participating merchants. Addressing the interests of both users and merchants directly increases the commercial value of Mobio’s products. 

Design and Analysis of Picocells in Wireless Cellular Networks

Future wireless networks demands ubiquitous coverage and higher data rates at low infrastructure cost. The novel network deployment where macro base-stations overlaid with low power nodes referred as picocell is the most promising solution towards this goal. The proposed research project intends to evaluate the system-level performance of the picocell wireless network. To quantify the benefit of this network, intelligent scheduling and power allocation schemes will be developed under optimized topology parameters. Picocell network simulation platform will be built based on realistic wireless heterogeneous channel model to accurately evaluate the systematic performance. The results are expected to provide quantified evaluation on the benefit of the picocell network architecture. These results will be helpful in attracting customers to subscribe their wireless service through this advanced wireless cellular network. 

Diversity Snapshot of Hospitals in the Greater Toronto Area

This project will provide a snapshot of diversity in hospitals in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). There are a number of culturally diverse groups (e.g., visible minorities, women) who face barriers to accessing healthcare services in Ontario as well as preventing their full workforce participation. In order to identify and address these barriers, diversity strategies (e.g., practices, processes, policies) will be examined in six key areas: leadership and governance; strong and transparent human resources practices; quality of life and organizational cultural; measuring and tracking diversity; integrating or mainstreaming the diversity across the value chain and developing the pipeline. In such a highly diverse region as the GTA, an examination of diversity strategies would yield examples of successful practices – aimed at creating higher quality, client-centred, and accessible healthcare as well as to increase the labour force participation of diverse groups – that can be adapted and applied elsewhere. 

Net ecosystem exchange of carbon dioxide over agricultural fields near Lacombe, Alberta

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and Campbell Scientific Canada Corp. (CSC) have been operating an “eddy covariance” meteorological tower near Lacombe, Alberta that measures the flux of carbon dioxide (CO2) between agricultural fields and the atmosphere. This tower provides high frequency data that is used to assess plant growth and decomposition across large fields which is critical for understanding local crop viability and the role of Canadian agriculture in the global carbon cycle. Several years of eddy covariance data have accumulated from the Lacombe tower, however AAFC and CSC do not have sufficient resources to organize and verify these data. Using several different software packages, I will correct and finalize several years of CO2 flux data from the AAFC/CSC tower. I will statistically compare flux calculations between each program and choose the most suitable software for AAFC/CSC to use for future data processing. I will then develop a training and software use manual to guide future data processors to consistently and correctly calculate eddy covariance flux data for this station.