Innovative Projects Realized

Optimizing Optical Coherence Tomography Scanning Efficiency with Low-Rate Acquisition and AI-Based Image Synthesis

Perimeter Medical has been developing a novel optical coherent tomography (OCT) technique combined with AI to analyze tissue edges quickly. This project aims to make the method faster by acquiring images more efficiently. This will help surgeons assess tissues quicker and shorten surgery times, which in turn will lead to less time for patients to remain under sedation. Using an AI synthesis approach, we strive to speed up the OCT scanning process. The proposed strategy is to test this approach using some existing OCT images to teach an AI algorithm how to generate the missing ones. We will compare the predicted OCT image results to the originals using image quality metrics to ensure the generated images are accurate. This project will be the first step in evaluating the feasibility of a faster OCT imaging in helping surgeons and patients alike.

Living Archives, Histories and Futures of Alternative Book Publishing (part of Archives / Counter-Archives)

PUBLIC was founded in 1988 by Public Access Collective, a Canadian charitable nonprofit organization committed to curating and producing innovative artistic research-creation projects and public interventions. Living Archives, Histories and Futures of Alternative Book Publishing is a research-creation project focused on developing PUBLIC Books and PUBLIC Online, including the further development of a more hybridized and integrative platform for PUBLIC Access’s publications and projects. This research-creation project will draw upon PUBLIC’s archives, engage new works emerging from the vast Archives/Counter-Archives network of artists, curators, educators, scholars, librarians, archivists, etc., and investigate connections between these resources. These original works will take form as publications, interviews, reviews, criticism, podcasts and podcast series, exhibitions, curatorial engagements, public interventions, setting new experimental forms of writing and publicity alongside canonical readings in art theory, exploring the interactive possibilities of contemporary art works within the public domain as well as open source sites and support for PUBLIC Online, a hybrid research-creation (intellectual and creative forum) that investigates critical interactions and intersections with art and public culture.

Narrations augmentées en littérature jeunesse : processus créatifs multimodaux et mécaniques collaboratives

Ce projet vise à documenter et analyser les processus de création et mécaniques collaboratives impliqués par la mise en place de livres augmentés jeunesse, et ce à travers le développement d’une séries d’oeuvres associant animation, texte, musique, et fonctionnalités interactives. Effectué avec le partenaire Les Éditions André Fontaine, en particulier dans le cadre de sa collection jeunesse Fonfon, il s’attèlera à analyser et compiler des données précises permettant, à terme, de dégager d’éventuelles perspectives d’adaptation dans des contextes d’apprentrissage, notamment en ce qui concerne les propres activités de création des jeunes. Dans une dimension plus technique, il visera à développer un nou

Development of lead-free journal bearings

To operate, the surfaces inside an aircraft engine must withstand several conditions, such as temperature and pressure, which will cause the components to wear over time. To prevent wear and reduce maintenance costs, the manufacturer of such engines usually uses several different techniques to enhance the surface’s resistance. However, some of these techniques, such as lead-based surfaces, may not be environmentally friendly. Therefore, the main objective of this project is to understand how wear is caused in journal bearings, a major component inside aircraft engines, and so propose strategies to develop environmentally friendly surfaces. The project will use as basis actual parts from these engines provided by the partner organization and characterize them by how the wear occurs in these components. Understanding how these components wear, materials will be proposed based on the literature and interfaces tested.

La requalification des églises en projets collectifs au Québec

L’étude empirique porte sur le processus de transformation des églises en projets collectifs par les citoyens au Québec. L’enjeu de l’étude est social car il s’agit d’une réflexion sur le présent et l’avenir de l’héritage bâti religieux au Québec, en contribuant à la compréhension de sa sacralité et de sa redéfinition dans la société québécoise contemporaine laïque.
Dans la diversité des manières nouvelles d’investir l’église collectivement et autrement que par les activités de culte, on s’intéresse aux expériences multiples de cette transformation du bâti religieux à l’échelle de la province, pour étudier au prisme du vécu de ses acteurs citoyens, les modalités et les mécanismes concrets dans l’appropriation de son espace. Un dispositif d’enquête multisites permettra l’observation des lieux et des usages multiples, ainsi que la rencontre des acteurs des transformations plurielles de l’espace religieux. La réflexion anthropologique portera sur la reconfiguration des rapports à l’espace de l’église dans le contexte spécifique du Québec.

Compositional Reasoning with Large Language Model for Structural and Semantic detections and relations across documents

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Improving International Student Success: Examining College Policies and Strategies for Recruitment and Employment Support in Ontario and British Columbia

Project Title: Improving International Student Success: Examining College Policies and Strategies for Recruitment and Employment Support in Ontario and British Columbia
Partner Organization: College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants
Academic Institution: CERC in Migration and Integration Program at Toronto Metropolitan University
Principal Investigator: Professor Anna Triandafyllidou
Academic Advisor: Dr. Marshia Akbar

Stage Design UX en IA générative

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LiDAR-based evaluation of paleo-lake levels around Georgian Bay

The Georgian Bay Geopark is tasked with promoting and conserving the unique geological heritage of an important Canadian landscape, created over 2.5 billion years of geologic and environmental change. It is now in the process of being recognized by UNESCO as a Global Geopark on account of its international significance. This project investigates one of the most recent chapters of its geologic history: a series of high-amplitude lake level fluctuations that left behind an array of coastal landforms which have only been recently uncovered through high-resolution LiDAR technology. This research project aims to map these landforms and use them to uncover how the landscape of the Bay has evolved over the past 15,000 years. The knowledge produced by this research will help the Georgian Bay Geopark to identify key stories within the Parks environmental history and to better manage the area to preserve this important natural heritage site for generations to come.

Localisation optimale de produits à l’entrepôt de Thomas & Betts à Bromont

Le projet de recherche consiste à développer un outil d’aide à la décision qui permettra à Thomas & Betts d’optimiser l’emplacement des produits dans deux zones à taux de roulement élevé de son centre de distribution de Bromont. L’outil permettra de minimiser les temps de prélèvement des vagues sur une période donnée ou encore d’optimiser une autre mesure de performance privilégiée. Le stage a pour but de produire une solution qui permettra, entre autres, d’intégrer les produits de ABB, nouvellement distribués depuis novembre 2013. Pour ce faire, le stagiaire devra effectuer une étude des données disponibles sur les ventes, comprendre le mode opératoire actuel et analyser les différentes mesures de performance. L’outil d’optimisation reposera sur un modèle mathématique qui intègrera les règles de base de logistique d’entrepôt. Compte tenu de la combinatoire très élevée, la méthode de résolution préconisée est une méthode de recherche Tabou.

Bylaw and Workplace Policy Template Creation

Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) is a not-for-profit organization which provides services to, and represents the interests of, urban municipalities in Saskatchewan. An urban municipality is defined by legislation as a city, town, village, resort village, or northern municipality. SUMA offers services to its member municipalities in the form of group purchasing, group health and dental benefits, insurance, and capacity building, whilst also advocating for municipal interests to the Saskatchewan Government and the Federal Government. Part of the capacity building work that SUMA does is create municipal bylaw templates and workplace policy templates for members to utilize (an example of a bylaw template has been attached to this application). So far, SUMA’s bylaw and workplace policy templates have been well received by its members, although more of these types of resources are needed. Member municipalities often express interest and need for these templates, and SUMA cannot keep pace with the number of templates requested. This Mitacs project will endeavor to hire an intern to develop and create additional bylaw and workplace policy templates for SUMA’s member municipalities to use.

Diversifying virtual learning and teaching engagements at Bloedel Conservatory for K-7 classrooms.

The Bloedel Conservatory virtual and blended field trip experience was created to address learning and accessibility challenges during the COVID pandemic to give K-7 students and teachers an opportunity to learn about non-native plants through a biocultural diversity lens. In addition, to addressing potential accessibility challenges to the garden, the virtual field trip may provide a means for classrooms outside of the Lower Mainland to experience the garden. The virtual field trip trip experience aims to:
? Provide and engaging and enrich way to teach scientific content,
? Foster technical and media fluency
? Foster critical and spatial thinking through maps and publicly available 3D images
? Foster communication skills through digital, storytelling, movement, written, and oral
? Support collaboration, co-creation, and connection between academia, community, and classrooms across the globe, and
? Access to learning about the conservatory for classrooms outside the Lower Mainland.

Following a successful pilot, and beta test of the virtual and blended field trips to Bloedel Conservatory this proposal seeks to more formally understand and further expand and improve these virtual experiences to include relationships with other international botanical gardens and environmental and science educational organizations. More specifically, this project seeks to improve and enhance on current experiences by connecting with international partners to collaboratively build learning experiences to create a deeper understanding and connection to plants and the planet. This proposal closely aligns with Vancouver Botanical Gardens Association’s current strategic plan and transformative goals (https://bit.ly/3kXZKVl).