Innovative Projects Realized

Les effets des ultrasons sur la production d’hydrogène par électrolyse en milieu alcalin

Il s’agit d’étudier les effets des ultrasons sur la production d’hydrogène en milieu liquide alcalin.
Le projet se déroule dans un laboratoire français, à l’UTINAM, Besançon, sous la supervision de Prof. Jean-Yves HIHN, expert dans la réactivité de surface et sonochimie en traitement de surface.

Description : Le stage consistera à apprendre à concevoir des électrodes puis d’en caractériser leur surface. Ensuite, ces électrodes seront caractérisées par des méthodes électrochimiques classiques. Puis les ultrasons seront ajoutés afin d’observer la synergie avec les électrodes.

Examining Rainfall Derived Inflow & Infiltration with Real Data

During rainfall events, it is nearly impossible to prevent water from entering into a sanitary sewer system. When this does occur, the capacity of the systems is decreased while the amount of water sent to treatment plants is increased. Current design practices do not offer any insights into the variability and other statistics characterizing this extraneous flow, which may create a risk for both public health and for the treatment facilities that the water will flow to in terms of the inability to handle excessive hydraulic loadings. The objective of this research is to use currently available data to improve the existing methods and to improve the characterization, as well as to develop new and reliable methods for the estimation, of this flow. The partner organization will benefit from an increased institutional knowledge on the subject, the expected development of proprietary analysis tools, and the strengthening relationships within the industry that it operates.

Using Process and Realist Evaluation to Explore Components of an Arts-based Program Intervention in an Acute Care Hospital Setting

The Artists on the Wards (AOW) program, introduced over 20 years ago, offers free arts sessions (music, visual, and literary) to patients and healthcare staff at the University of Alberta Hospital and Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute. The program, run by compassionate artists, aims to improve well-being through attentive and responsive arts engagement. While participants report enhanced well-being, a formal evaluation of the program’s processes and impact is yet to be done.
A planned evaluation will use case studies and an “action learning” approach to develop a logic model, providing a visual overview of the program’s goals, components, and impacts. This will help assess the program’s implementation and identify areas for improvement. The evaluation will also explore the specific contexts and mechanisms through which the program benefits participants. Findings will inform ongoing program improvements and may guide similar arts-based initiatives in other hospitals.

GenAI for Digital Personality Modelling

Humans and animals have emotions linked to an individual’s personality traits, which becomes obvious when looking into the pet and pet-owner interactions. With the advancement of Generative AI, research suggests that it is possible to replicate individuals’ behaviors digitally so that avatars can engage in game-plays and platforms like digital twins and metaverse, for entertainments and even for providing comforts in a healthcare, assisted living or rehabilitation setting. Chatbots, as digital assistants, have been widely used for similar purposes. However, insufficient effort has been deployed in the human-pet interaction scenarios. This proposal aims to address this research gap by exploring the capabilities of current Large Language Models (LLMs) and applying Generative AI techniques for Digital Personality Modelling.

Advancing Nonlinear Utility Pole Analysis Employing Computational Mechanics with Quantum Computing

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Culturally Attuned Extended Reality: Enhancing Virtual Workplace Well-being through Cross-Cultural Technology Interventions

This project, led by a faculty member from the University of Waterloo in collaboration with a senior scholar at a top Taiwanese national university, focuses on utilizing Extended Reality (XR) technologies, e.g., virtual, augmented, and mixed reality, to enhance virtual workplace well-being, with a special emphasis on cultural sensitivity. The projects sets out to thoroughly review and evaluate the technological advancements and existing business applications of XR, before developing frameworks for mental health interventions, e.g., exposure therapy, stress management, and psychological resilience training, that are finely tuned to the cultural nuances of diverse, virtual team-based workplaces in multinational organizations in Canada and Taiwan. This collaboration between Canadian and Taiwanese institutions will leverage their combined expertise to foster innovation, provide inclusive and cross-cultural educational and research opportunities for students, and strengthen international ties. The project will pay the way for significant advancements in global research capabilities, delivering novel insights into culturally sensitive XR applications and enhancing cooperative efforts between the participating institutions.

La protection du territoire agricole au Québec à la croisée des chemins

Cette recherche se concentre sur l’analyse des fondements politiques et de la mise en œuvre initiale de la Loi québécoise sur la protection du territoire agricole de 1978, dans le but de saisir pleinement l’esprit de cette réforme dans le cadre de la révision actuelle de la loi. En premier lieu, une enquête socio-historique examinera l’évolution de la perspective québécoise sur l’aménagement du territoire agricole, soulignant l’importance des mobilisations civiles et des actions gouvernementales antérieures. Ensuite, une analyse approfondie de la mise en pratique de cette réforme sera menée, incluant l’examen de sa conception, du mode de régulation de l’activité agricole qu’elle a instauré, et des représentations qu’elle en a véhiculées. Le projet comprendra la construction d’un corpus de documents significatifs qui sera composé notamment d’archives des travaux parlementaires et de mémoires des parties prenantes. On procédera à une analyse qualitative des discours sur l’aménagement du territoire agricole ayant concourus à la réforme. En conclusion, une analyse de ce processus d’institutionnalisation mettra en lumière la transformation de la conception du territoire agricole en tant que bien commun, conception qu’a en quelque sorte consacrée la loi qui est en ce moment débattue.

The development of psychological assessments using robot-based tools to improve characterization of psychological function

The proposed research project will focus on the development of novel techniques to improve the assessment of psychological functions. Current psychological tests are limited in their ability to provide quantitative information on an individual’s ability to move and interact with their environment. Many psychological tests are computer-based systems that have been developed to assess psychological function using simple button presses quantifying measures such as reaction time. However, these tests are not able to accurately capture the wealth of kinematic information that is generated for even the simplest motor actions such as reaching. Crucial measures such as hand speed and accuracy are critical for understanding psychological function as abnormality in these measures have been linked to psychological disorders such as depression and ADHD. The proposed research project will adapt commonly used psychological tests as a suite of tasks developed on a robotic system that can provide objective and highly quantitative measures of upper limb movement. The developed tasks will then be disseminated through multidisciplinary open access journals and online repositories to improve assessment techniques in the field of psychology.

Hybridization of quantum and classical methods for network security

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Accounting for policy transfer in Canadian asylum policy, 1999-2012

In the context of the intern’s postdoctoral project, the research project aims to examine the correlation between the restrictiveness of a reform and the likeliness of its transfer using the IMPALA database. To this aim, the intern, after having received appropriate training, will incorporate the relevant regulatory framework in the International Migration Policy and Law Analysis (IMPALA) database. The IMPALA database includes a wider range of regulatory documents than existing databases, with primary and secondary legislation, administrative directives and relevant case law. It also includes a questionnaire aiming to weight the restrictiveness of the incorporated regulatory framework. With respect to the partner, he will gain a better understanding of the roots of restrictive legislative and regulatory changes in immigration which is useful for the purpose of lobbying the government and to support administrative or constitutional cases for judicial review.

Integrated Document Management and Retrieval System for infrastructure digital twins

The proposed research project aims to improve how information is managed for bridge construction and maintenance using advanced technology. The intern will create a system that combines Microsoft Power Apps, Power BI, and Autodesk Forge’s digital twin environment. This system will make it easier for engineers to input, store, and access important information related to different parts, assemblies, or elements of a bridge, including documents, spreadsheets, databases, photos and other relevant data types. When engineers interact with the digital twin model, they will be able to access all related information displayed in a user-friendly format, integrated into Power BI visualizations. This project will help the partner organization by making information management more efficient, reducing manual work, and ensuring that important data is secure, reliable and easy to find.

Magnetic field characterization of the Queen’s rotamak

Magnetic confinement of the extremely hot plasma necessary to achieve controlled nuclear fusion has made tremendous progress in recent years towards the ultimate goal of operating as a commercially viable long-term source of energy that can greatly facilitate the decarbonization of our energy system. As part of this research effort a fusion reactor prototype is being designed and constructed at Queen’s University. The project being supported involves the development of an array of magnetic probes capable of mapping both the internal and external magnetic field structure of the reactor device and will help to ensure that it operates as efficiently as possible.