Innovative Projects Realized

Embedded Philosophy in Near-Living Architecture

The intern will investigate the architectural potential and philosophical merit of Near-Living Architecture, a design that allows environments to be aware and empathetic to their occupants. To do this, the intern will edit and contribute to the upcoming Near-Living Architecture Monograph, a written work describing the vision, execution and future applications of research conducted by PBAI. Furthermore, the intern will lead independent research on the topic of emergence, which reveals itself in this work, to create scholarly contributions to the field. Attempts to understand the phenomena have never been approached using an architectural installation as grounds to model the phenomena. Ultimately, the partner organization will benefit from having an intern highly qualified in science communication and philosophy to produce material on their behalf that otherwise could not be properly contextualized. This mutually beneficial partnership marks a rare collaboration between the humanities and applied sciences with potential to create paradigmatic knowledge

Documentation et valorisation du patrimoine – Centre historique des Sœurs du Bon-Conseil de Chicoutimi

Ce projet consiste à permettre à une étudiante inscrite à la maîtrise en histoire à l’UQAC de réaliser un stage de 4 mois au Centre historique des Soeurs du Bon-Conseil, une institution qui gère une vaste collection, témoin précieux de l’histoire de la Congrégation des Soeurs de Notre-Dame du Bon-Conseil au Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean. Ce stage vise à permettre à l’étudiante de mettre en pratique diverses aptitudes acquises en cours de formation et de vivre une expérience professionnelle concrète dans le champ de l’histoire publique, plus spécifiquement eu égard à la valorisation, la transmission et la préservation du patrimoine religieux. La stagiaire sera notamment appelée à compléter l’inventaire de la collection matérielle du centre, à voir au traitement et au développement de son patrimoine immatériel (notamment via la réalisation d’entrevues avec des Soeurs de la Congrégation) mais aussi à oeuvrer à sa transmission. Ce travail de mémoire et d’archivage s’inscrit dans le contexte d’une transition institutionnelle plus vaste de cette Congrégation qui, confrontée à l’obligation de vendre ses bâtiments dans quelques années, doit réfléchir à son avenir et au futur musée qu’elle deviendra. Ce projet de stage vient donc répondre à un besoin important de soutien pour cet organisme, qui doit voir à la bonne marche de cette transition sur le plan patrimonial, mais aussi, à un besoin important à l’échelle régionale, la mise en valeur du patrimoine religieux étant une dimension significative de l’offre touristique régionale du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean.

Development of automatic sound-visualized caption across cultural backgrounds

This project aims to benefit society by improving accessibility for viewers who may not be able to receive sound information well from the media content, including DHH viewers. To develop and research for the project, it is necessary to reflect an in-depth and multi-faceted case analysis on the topic of improving sound accessibility. To fulfil these needs, I will collaborate with researchers at the University of Toronto for about 18 weeks on technology development. Furthermore, we can conduct surveys and workshops for various users, such as deaf people in Canada or North America, and have in-depth research discussions with collaborating researchers to successfully carry out the project. The participant researcher will have the opportunity through this project to 1) research and analyze sound-visualized captions to improve and advance user-centred multimodal interaction and accessibility, 2) develop technologies to enhance users’ immersion and viewing experience of media contents, and 3) expand the networking in DGP lab at University of Toronto.

Waste Transfer Station

The project: City of Iqaluit Waste transfer Station. The project includes the installation of a biomass boiler system. It consists of specialty mechanical equipment like biomass boilers, conveyer belts, screw conveyers, duct collector etc.
Opportunities: The Waste transfer Station project is a facility that will help City of Iqaluit to better process the waste and increase the efficiency of waste management. This will also have a biomass boiler system which will utilize waste as fuel. This makes the project one of a kind and we will be able to gain invaluable experience from it. This will help us build similar projects and help Canada achieve a more sustainable future.

Development of EVERYONE Study Patient and Parent/Guardian Recruitment and Information Materials for diabetes care clinics

Despite significant therapeutic advances, the management of type 1 diabetes remains a major challenge, with current modalities unable to achieve, in every patient, optimal blood glucose control, while minimizing complications. Precision Medicine steers away from this ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. Precision Medicine aims to understand each child’s health by integrating all the information they share about themselves, from their genetic code to their postal code, to provide individualized care that attends to each child’s unique characteristics. Precision Medicine is the focus and future for every child and the key pillar of The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) Strategic Plan. The Empowering diVERse Youth with diabetes thrOugh precisioN mEdicine, EVERYONE Study is aligned with this plan in that the project aims to integrate information (i.e., demographic, socioeconomic, genetic, physiologic, and social) from each child with type 1 diabetes and implement a precision medicine-based model or approach in real world pediatric diabetes care practices to deliver individualized treatment and management to each child living with type 1 diabetes. The intern project will focus on the importance of clear messaging and communications of Precision Medicine in the EVERYONE Study through the co-development of information and recruitment materials for patients and their families, and the incorporation of the implementation outcome framework measures in the EVERYONE Study.

MedMe Health – New Product Development Internship (Summer 2024)

MedMe Health is pursuing further growth within Canada, especially in Quebec, and prepares for expansion into new markets such as the United States and the United Kingdom. The company’s customer onboarding process is currently cumbersome and manual, which affects scalability and limits customers’ control over account management. They also face the hurdle of language localization due to the reliance on hardcoded English, creating barriers in French-speaking Quebec and Spanish-speaking areas in the US. Through this project, MedMe Health aims to automate the onboarding process, allowing customers to manage their accounts independently. Additionally, MedMe Health plans to integrate internationalization (i18n) into their frontend to facilitate the addition of new languages, thus improving operational efficiency and market competitiveness while aligning with their strategic objectives of innovation and customer-centricity.

Learning based MPC for tissue manipulation

Robot-assisted surgery (RAS) has revolutionized surgical procedures, offering advantages over traditional methods. Currently, surgeons control robots for tasks like suturing and organ resection, leading to physical strain while the robot helps at the lower level by scalling down the movement and reducing hand tremor. These tasks are intricate and demand high dexterity and skill, leading to physical and cognitive strain for surgeons when performed manually. Automating these tasks presents an opportunity to improve surgical outcomes, mitigate human error, and reduce strain on surgeons.
Various control algorithms, including model-based (e.g., model predictive control) and model-free (e.g., reinforcement learning) approaches, have been developed. Model based control ensures sfety and stability however, their relience on accurate model of the system poses challanges in dynamic surgical settings. Model-free, specifically RL based control offeres adaptability by learning form the environemnt, however they requiers extensive interaction with the environemnt posing problems of safety and stability specifically during the initial phases.
To overcome these limitation we have porposed an (event-triggered) learning MPC for automating tissue manipulation. The proposed control uses accumulated error to trigger the Gaussian process and update the tissue model, thus adapting to changing dynamics online, while ensuring the safety and stability by imposing constraints.

Implementation of Analysis Algorithms Into Precision Feeding Application

This project is to continue to implement data analysis algorithms for real time analysis of precision feeding data provided by a novel custom poultry precision feeding system. In addition if time allows work on some computer vision algorithms to detect the presence of a bird in a feeding station.

Animal Health Technology Internship

With the DVM shortage, our registered veterinary technologist’s are stepping in to fill in areas where they are able to decrease some of the burden for our veterinarians. This is unique and puts our technologists in new roles than they may have not traditionally been in. We are in a time of innovation and change in the veterinary industry here in Alberta. Our technologists will have an increased expectation of client interaction, while also providing excellent nursing care. Communication and educating our clients and working within a team have never been so important. The communication and education can and should happen in our marketing also which is a new approach for our business.

Our project is to increase the utilization of registered veterinary technologists in offering wellness services to our clients. The project will utilize the NAIT AHT Co-Op student in our marketing of this innovative service, development and improvement of standard operating procedures/training for our team and a review of client feedback following the innovation to our product (wellness service delivery) and marketing strategy

Development of Deep Learning Techniques for Predicting Dynamic Responses of Local Elements in Complex Structural Systems

In our proposed project, we aim to predict the behavior of large structures like buildings and bridges and key devices upon the large structures in response to natural hazard such as earthquakes. By combining cutting-edge deep learning techniques with the multi-fidelity concept, we’re developing a deep learning model that can predict the response time histories of not only the large-scale structure but also key devices upon the structures under various seismic loads. Furthermore, utilizing hybrid simulation equipment available at the University of Toronto, this model will be refined and validated through experimental setups that mirror real-world conditions, enhancing its accuracy and reliability. This research, a collaborative effort between University of Toronto and Seoul National University, not only pushes the boundaries of engineering and artificial intelligence but also holds promise for making our communities safer and more resilient. The expected outcome is a significant advancement in structural engineering that benefits both institutions by enhancing their research capabilities and contributing to a safer, more predictable future in facing natural disasters.

Business strategy – Europassport

EuroPassport aims to strategically position itself in the market with the introduction of a new SaaS platform to disrupt the legal immigration industry. This project focuses on comprehensive research and analysis to understand market dynamics, customer needs, and competitive landscapes.

Indigenous contestation of natural resources in the Lacandon rainforest in Chiapas Mexico

The main objective of this research project is to develop a better understanding of the ongoing struggle over natural resources in the Lacandon forest, a region that includes the Montes Azules and Lacantun Biosphere Reserves. The Lacandon forest is a resource rich area known for its fertile soil, sub-soil and huge potential for ecotourism. Yet, the five different indigenous groups inhabiting the region do not have equal access to these resources. In order to better understand the inequality experienced by the inhabitants of the Montes Azules and Lacantún biosphere reserves, this research project is designed to analyze: (1) the history of the founding and management of these reserves; (2) the conservation policy promoted by Mexican environmental authorities in the Lacandon forest; (3) the different political, social and cultural factors that have contributed to restrict access to economic resources and to aggravate the conditions of inequality of the populations in the biosphere reserves; and (4) the counterproductive effects engendered by Mexican environmental policy in the biosphere reserves.