Innovative Projects Realized

Déploiement de la maintenance prédictive basée sur l’intelligence artificielle

Ce projet introduit la maintenance prédictive chez Aliments Morehouse Canada, en exploitant des technologies avancées d’intelligence artificielle et de l’Internet des objets (IoT). En centralisant les données de production et de maintenance dans une base robuste pour résoudre le problème des données fragmentées et en développant des modèles prédictifs performants, il permettra de réduire les arrêts imprévus, d’optimiser les coûts de maintenance et de prolonger la durée de vie des équipements. Grâce à des tableaux de bord dynamiques, les performances des machines seront visualisées en temps réel, facilitant une prise de décision stratégique et alignant l’entreprise sur les standards de l’Industrie 4.0.

Investigation of thermal losses of various configurations of wet and Dry thermally insulated systems and with and without deployment of novel Mica Spacer system

In many industries, particularly those using steam to heat or move heavy oil, keeping pipes and equipment as hot as possible is very important. When heat escapes, it lowers the efficiency of the operation, raises costs, and increases the carbon footprint. Insulation is supposed to keep heat inside, but it does not always work well at high temperatures or when it gets wet.

There is currently no straightforward way to measure and compare how different types and thicknesses of insulation perform, especially when they get wet. Without a standard measure of heat loss per unit length of pipe, it’s difficult to decide which insulation is most effective in real-world conditions.

Peliplat Growth System for Creators

This project will be pivotal in transforming Peliplat into a more dynamic and interactive platform, where creators are supported and motivated to share their passion and knowledge, ultimately enriching the experience for all users. Through this initiative, Peliplat will solidify its position as a leading destination for film and television content and discussions, globally.

Solid State Business Strategy Internship

Solid State, based in Surrey, provides support to BIPOC and racialized communities through cooperative development and social enterprise incubation. To meet our goal of onboarding 12 new cohorts annually, we need to build capacity within our development team by training young post-secondary students in cooperative development, a field growing in importance as communities seek sustainable economic solutions. Hiring an intern from Surrey aligns with our community-centred approach, as a local intern will connect with our Surrey-based cohorts, facilitating stronger community connections. The intern will be trained in cooperative development and business strategy, helping Solid State maintain momentum with new cohorts and building our future pool of cooperative developers.

Joining lifestyle and cognitive assessment with Fit Brains Trainer data: Can Fit Brains brain fitness apps tell us what a “smarter” lifestyle look like?

Rosetta Stone Canada collects user demographic and performance data from Fit Brains Trainer (brain fitness training games), Cognitive Assessment, and Lifestyle Assessment mobile apps. Data from the three apps can be linked and analyzed to answer research questions such as how lifestyle factors can influence brain training habits and outcome. This internship will: 1. Statistically explore raw data in Cognitive and Lifestyle Assessment databases 2. Statistically normalize data in Cognitive and Lifestyle Assessment databases 3. link users from the Trainer, Cognitive and Lifestyle Assessment databases 4. analyze the data to find a “smarter” lifestyle and training habits The deliverable for this internship will be a manuscript, a conference abstract, and analysis packages for future collaborators. The expected benefit to the partner organization are 1) expanded research capacity, 2) scientifically based recommendation for a “smarter” lifestyle and practice habit to customers, and 3) research publications.

Integrating conversational AI for accurate psychiatric diagnosis in primary care

This research project will explore how advanced artificial intelligence technology, specifically large language models (LLMs), can improve the Mental Health Assessment Tool (MHAT) developed by Harrison Healthcare. MHAT is a secure online tool designed to help primary care doctors identify and diagnose mental health conditions based on structured questionnaires and clinical guidelines. The project will test whether adding LLMs to MHAT can make the tool more effective by providing more personalized, empathetic, and flexible assessments. This improvement could lead to better patient experiences and more accurate mental health diagnoses.

A doctoral intern will work with Harrison Healthcare over a 12-month period to integrate and test the enhanced MHAT. The expected benefits include reducing the time doctors spend on assessments, improving the accuracy of mental health diagnoses, and helping patients feel more heard and supported during their care. This work will also position Harrison Healthcare as a leader in digital mental health innovation while contributing to the broader field of trustworthy AI in healthcare.

Systematic comparative analysis of GitHub Actions security analysis techniques

Continuous Integration is a software development practice where each member of a team work independently and then merge their changes into a common codebase, at least daily. Each of these integrations is verified through an automated build pipeline, whick consists of a sequence of actions such as compilation, testing, addition of third-party components. The key benefit of continuous integration is to reduce the risk of errors due to incompatible changes by different team members. Meanwhile, modern build pipelines have grown into complex program that schedule tens or hundreds of different tasks. In the open source platforms, such as Github or Gitlab, these pipelines have become targets for malicious actors. They inject vulnerabilities that are hard to detect because of the complexity of the pipelines. With this internship, we will map and benchmark the state of the art techniques to detect these vulnerabilities, in order to better guide developers in their choice of safeguard and to identify research gaps.

Pasture Poultry Market Potential and Cost of Production Assessment

After several years of exploration, SSMPA members believe there to be opportunity for growth of the pasture-based poultry sector in BC, given an increasing number of small-scale poultry farmers, increasingly adequate processing facilities and access to the significant consumer markets. This belief was confirmed in 2022-2023, when SSMPA leadership met with producers all over BC. SSMPA representatives also learned of the impediments perceived by small-scale meat producers in the province. It was ascertained that while small scale poultry sector senses there is opportunity to expand actors need critical decision-making information. Generating this necessary information is the purpose of this project. Specifically, they conveyed need for a scalable, manipulatable enterprise budget and a comprehensive assessment of the market on a regional basis (pasture poultry producers do not supply the commodity market, rather they supply, are part of regional food system markets). For the proposed project the Mitacs intern will contribute to the conduct of a pasture poultry market analysis and development of a pasture poultry enterprise budget.

Mobilising Cycling Economies for Safe Cycling Networks

A lack of physical infrastructure and the corresponding fear of harm are a significant barrier to urban cycling, and an impediment to the expansion of Curbside Cycle’s target demographic. Using outreach and education through a collaborative process involving partners Curbside Cycle and Cycle Toronto we will empower local experts, enlist local businesses as powerful community stakeholders, and foster coalitions of community support for improved bicycle infrastructure. Through engagement and capacity-building sessions we will share up to date research on the positive impacts of bicycle infrastructure for urban business communities and build skills for group facilitation, civic engagement and conflict mitigation. The documentation and assessment of the processes involved in this initiative will be academically relevant in the fields of community capacitation and participatory planning, and will also help inform the strategic planning that Cycle Toronto will pursue following the completion of all engagement sessions.

Towards a Theory of Blockchain as a Socio-Informational-Technical System: Perceptions and challenges of adopting verifiable credentials in the public sector.

Blockchain technology and VCs, in principle, can enhance the security, privacy, efficiency, and trustworthiness of the digital exchange of credentials. However, several challenges hinder the adoption of VCs and blockchain, including resistance from the public and some authorities driven by a lack of understanding of the technologies and political motives. There is a limited empirical and contextual understanding of these barriers, mainly relying on anecdotal narratives and inferences from emerging literature. This study aims to provide one of the first empirical studies of the institutional actors’ perspectives, challenges, and concerns about VC adoptions. The study uses a qualitative approach of participatory observation, document analysis, and interviews to explore stakeholders’ perceptions and approaches to VCs. The insights will contribute to a sustainable design and promotion of VCs in the public sector that can leverage the technologies’ strengths and ensure alignment with the regulatory and institutional values.

Hot Topics: Co-Creating Equity-Informed Emergency Planning and Policy with Affected Communities to Address Heat-Related Crises in British Columbia

Extreme weather events from heat domes to storms to flooding signal the pressing nature of the climate
emergency. These events often leave citizens scrambling to respond and public officials in a reactive mode. This is becoming increasingly true with the intensity and unpredictability of environmental hazards. A prime example is the June 2021 extreme heat event, dubbed the “Heat Dome,” that impacted British Columbia. In one week, there were 619 deaths from heat stroke and other heat- related illnesses caused by sustained high temperatures. Most of the people who died were elderly or had other determinants of health that made them vulnerable to heat. In addition to the direct impacts of extreme heat events, heat-related crises, such as drought, wildfire smoke and food systems die-off, are also having an increasingly large impact on human health. To better prepare for these events and plan for protecting those most vulnerable to negative health impacts, our research partnership is informed by a planetary health and intersectional policy lens to create safe spaces for affected communities to tell their stories so that policy-makers can learn from their lived experiences and improve outcomes, with findings relevant to local governments and across jurisdictions in British Columbia.

Mobilizing the health benefits of being in nature through community-based participatory research and Indigenous youth engagement

Spending time in natural environments and nature-based programming is associated with significant health benefits. These outcomes are particularly important for Indigenous youth, whose mental health and wellbeing continues to be a priority for healthcare in Nova Scotia (NS). There is a need for further research that includes NS youth perspectives and identifies their experiences, needs, barriers, and enablers for sustained participation. This study will engage a group of Indigenous youth from Eskasoni First Nation in a photovoice project to gain a deeper understanding of their experiences of nature and nature-based programming, and the disparities that exist in access and provision.