Innovative Projects Realized

L2M-Advancing Surgical Precision and Care with AI-Enhanced Mixed Reality

2.1.b. Objectives and approach (the what and the how)
obj1: Understanding Healthcare Requirements for Medical Data: Initiate in-depth studies with healthcare professionals to understand their specific needs for visualizing medical data in MR. This could involve examining existing VR solutions in healthcare, and conducting focus groups and interviews with doctors, surgeons, and medical staff to ascertain their visualization needs, operational constraints, and desired functionalities.
obj2: Assessing Preferences for Interaction Methods: After gathering insights, create scenarios specific to medical data visualization, such as patient anatomy or surgical simulations. Conduct surveys to determine healthcare professionals’ preferences for existing MR interaction methods, ensuring familiarity with these methods through hands-on demonstrations.
Obj3: Determining the Effectiveness of MR Interaction Methods in Healthcare Settings: Design experiments based on the scenarios identified in Objective 1, focusing on tasks relevant to healthcare, such as navigating patient records, visualizing complex surgical procedures, or understanding patient anatomy in MR. Evaluate key metrics like time efficiency, accuracy, and cognitive load to find the most user-friendly interaction paradigms for medical professionals.
Implement a cross-over experimental design to control for learning effects.
Obj4: Investigating the Viability of AI to Enhance MR in Medical Data Visualization: Explore AI’s role in improving interaction within MR environments, such as through advanced gesture recognition, voice command interpretation, and real-time data processing. This could involve developing AI algorithms tailored to the unique needs of medical data interaction.

A Data-Driven Framework for Forecasting Project Performance

In the dynamic field of construction project management, accurately forecasting project performance remains a significant challenge. Budget overruns and schedule delays are common issues, and despite the abundance of available data, existing forecasting practices struggle to effectively leverage this information. This study addresses gaps in the current literature by proposing a data-driven approach to enhance Earned Value Management (EVM). EVM is a method for forecasting both project cost and performance, incorporating key metrics such as the estimate at completion (EAC). The research introduces a comprehensive framework tailored for the execution phase, utilizing various data sources such as historical data, project data from schedule updates, and expert opinions. The proposed research unfolds in two phases: Phase 1 involves collecting, synthesizing, and preparing data for a data-driven model, while Phase 2 focuses on developing a data-driven approach for forecasting project schedules, leveraging Bayesian statistics and discrete event simulation. Additionally, it integrates the forecasted schedule’s impact on project cost prediction using a rule-based fuzzy logic system. The overall methodology aims to enhance project forecasting in EVM, providing valuable insights for effective construction project management. This collaboration provides SMA Consulting with the opportunity to leverage cutting-edge solutions, enhancing competitiveness and reinforcing their commitment to excellence. The adoption of superior tools resulting from this research aligns seamlessly with SMA Consulting’s commitment to delivering excellence in project management and controls, positioning them as an industry leader.

L2M – VT-PATCH for Remote Patient Monitoring for Children

The VT-PATCH project addresses a crucial gap in pediatric healthcare by introducing a user-friendly medical patch designed for short-term, continuous monitoring of infants and young children. Unlike the current complex system of multiple devices and wires, the VT-PATCH offers an all-in-one solution to measure vital signs like heart rate, respiratory rate, blood oxygen saturation, and body temperature. This innovative approach not only improves the quality of care for sick children but also enhances operational efficiency in healthcare facilities. By facilitating earlier patient release, the project increases bed availability, reduces nursing requirements, saves costs, minimizes energy consumption, and optimizes time management. The VT-PATCH stands out in the market as a tailored solution for pediatric patients, ensuring effective remote monitoring from an early age and contributing to the advancement of pediatric healthcare in Canada.

A holistic Deco AI strategy for insurance risk categorization and predication

Insurance has been heavily affected from climate change in the past few years. Catastrophic events such as hail, floods, fires effect people’s lives. Technology like what Deco is building will help to speed up claims, settlements, repairs. If insurance companies can access accurate data instantly, it will help to make informed decisions about the claims quickly and help those in needs. This proposal is built upon Deco’s current digital system, which handles the basic insurance transactions, but lacks the risk assessment and prediction components.
By analyzing historic events, mapping onto claims, incorporating future economic trends and applying artificial intelligence (AI) techniques, Deco aims to establish a platform that insured entities can be precisely classified with detailed information This project focuses on data modeling using AI to help produce predictive analytics to better understand risk exposure within the sector.

Documenting the role of voluntary job mobility within and across firms using novel employer-employee data from administrative records

The aim of this research project is to understand how voluntary employment changes can affect the career results of workers in the Brazilian labour market. We aim to use a unique administrative dataset from the Brazilian Ministry of Labour that provides detailed longitudinal information on workers, their jobs, and the firms they work for. This data will allow us to document dynamics rarely studied with population-level data. Our proposal aims to investigate whether voluntary job changes can have a positive effect on subsequent results and career with a longitudinal view. The main question we want to answer is how voluntary job mobility may be used a career strategy associated with upward occupational or income mobility. At the same time, we aim to document whether some voluntary job mobility patterns are associated with negative outcomes in terms of employment or earnings. The expected contributions of this research proposal will greatly strengthen Canada’s innovation capacity. Finally, strengthening Canada’s innovation capacity also means strengthening international collaborations in highly innovative areas. This project represents one of them. Indeed, the project will help structure an international network of innovative researcher teams working with unique administrative data sources.

The development of a cholestatic pruritus educational video for those living with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC)

Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is a cholestatic chronic liver disease typified by immune mediated damage to hepatic bile ducts. A priority of those with PBC is how to manage cholestatic pruritus (“PBC itch”). At present, there is no FDA approved effective medication to prevent the recurrence or severity of this side effect. Depending upon the severity of itch, this side effect has been associated with decreased HRQoL, depression, anxiety, as well as interrupted sleep leading to fatigue and is known to cause severe sleep deprivation. PBC itch is a debilitating side effect that increases as the liver disease worsens over time thereby representing an unmet patient need.
The Canadian PBC Society (“PBC Society”) is a non-profit organization devoted to improving the health of patients with PBC. The vision is to use an animated video style with carefully chosen animations to maximize interest, engagement, and present evidence-based content in an accessible format for their members (i.e., patients and caregivers). The video will be presented in a format selected by the PBC Society who can distribute it to their members via email as well as host the deliverable on their public website.

Jeunes et espaces publics à Hanoi, travail dirigé de maîtrise sousforme de vidéo documentaire

Le projet de recherche cherche à examiner les espaces publics à Hanoi à travers la focale des jeunes et de leurs usages. Ceux-ci se situent dans un entre-deux, reproduisant des pratiques vietnamiennes traditionnelles de l’espace (forte utilisation des espaces publics, sociabilisation, pratiques sportives et consommatrices) et introduisant des nouveaux usages liés à l’ouverture du Vietnam à la culture mondiale (breakdance, skateboard, parkour, etc.). Il s’agit de faire emerger les strategies de negociation et de territorialisation des differents individus et groupes, face aux autres usagers et aux differentes formes d’autorite. Le projet se demarque par I’usage de la video comme outil de recherche, permettant une large participation des personnes enquetees au dela de la barriere linguistique. La video permet aussi
une diffusion plus large des resultats de la recherche, tant a destination des planificateurs et des elus vietnamiens, de la communaute de chercheurs en etudes urbaines, que du grand public.

L2M-Development of smart aeroponic systems for the promotion of wellness and sustainability

Sustainable agriculture has a significant and multifaceted role in promoting human health and well-being. There are many approaches to achieving wellness and an aeroponic growing solution is an excellent way to promote wellness by cultivating fresh, nutritious plants and thereby providing an indoor natural environment. In addition, the urban population in Canada is experiencing unprecedented growth, leading to increased demand for fresh produce. Traditional farming practices are seen as inadequate to meet the demands of urban residents and are associated with environmental concerns. The challenges related to extreme winter in Canada and the desire of urban residents to grow their own fresh and healthy foods at home can be addressed through innovative solutions. Aeroponics is a method of growing plants without soil using nutrient-rich water solutions. This can result in faster growth rates and higher yields. Studies have shown that exposure to nature and greenery can improve mood, and mental health, increase productivity, reduce stress, and enhance cognitive function. Incorporating leafy green, herbs and flowers into your mindfulness practice can significantly enhance your overall well-being. Through this project, we aim to prototype and develop a portable fully automated system to cultivate fresh plants and promote sustainability and wellness. The system will be tested, validated for its performance, and commercialized. We plan to establish research in making these systems smarter to be monitored by the users using a mobile application. We also plan to identify and research the best plants and flower species and their effects on the well-being of Canadians.

L2M – Precision Social Prescribing Customer Discovery

Precision Social Prescribing (SRX) closes the loop from community organizations to referring clinics with a web app to monitor clients’ wellbeing and the effective implementation of SRX programs. Precision SRX provides participatory geospatial information system (PGIS) Software as a Service (SaaS) and thrives on a dense network of users in a locality. Precision SRX requires several community organizations and one or more referring clinics in a locality to provide SRX options near the clients’ home, which makes it challenging to kickstart. Our customers span health and community sectors and have differential access to resources, thus requiring unique pricing and marketing strategies.

This Customer Discovery project leverages the intern’s relationships with various health and community organizations in Metro Vancouver for customer interviews and focus groups to ensure feasible launch of a local pilot. The project will assess and obtain buy-in from current networks while providing expert insights and Lab to Market (L2M) training for Customer Discovery.

L2M – Advancing Light Electric Vehicle Adoption: Designing and Testing a Novel AC Machine for Reduced Cost and Enhanced Performance

The partner organization operates in the dynamic electric vehicle (EV) industry, aiming to address the challenge of making light electric vehicles more affordable without compromising performance. This is particularly evident in e-bikes, e-motorcycles, e-scooters, and e-wheelchairs. The high cost of these vehicles, coupled with efficiency challenges, hinders widespread adoption.

The project targets the cost and efficiency challenges unique to light electric vehicles, introducing an innovative AC machine design. The goal is to enhance power delivery and reduce costs by optimizing materials. The approach includes a literature review on AC machine designs, emphasizing spoke-type Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors (PMSM). Material replacement and simulation involve optimizing the spoke-type PMSM design by substituting NdFeB with ferrite. The final objective is to validate the design and assess its market integration, refining the design based on simulation outcomes and analyzing manufacturing implications, scalability, and cost-effectiveness.

Uncovering innovation opportunities in the diagnosis and treatment of eye diseases including cataract, cornea, glaucoma, and retinal surgery

Sunnybrook Research Institute has developed the Medventions internship program, an immersive 4-month project-based internship program that brings together multidisciplinary teams of students in the process of identifying hospital-based clinical challenges and the conceptualization and implementation of technology to improve healthcare. The interns are given a unique opportunity to directly observe the full cycle of care from diagnosis and treatment to recovery and discharge with the ultimate goal of discovering problems and opportunities that will have major impact on patient outcomes and the management and delivery of healthcare. The program starts by the interns performing clinical observations, identifying clinical needs, and performing intensive research and validation to better understand those needs and how they impact healthcare. Once a clinical need is selected, interns utilize human-centered design thinking methods to brainstorm solutions and create rough prototypes for testing. While developing solutions, interns research everything from intellectual property issues and business models to reimbursement and regulatory pathways to select the best solution with the highest commercialization potential and impact on patient care. For this upcoming cohort, the team will focus on advancing innovative eye care solutions for important unmet needs in the areas of cataract surgery and retinal procedures.

Improved Machine Learning for Uncrewed Ground Vehicle

Compusult Limited has developed an Uncrewed Ground Vehicle (UGV) system with powerful sensing and terrain navigation capabilities. This project proposes to being development of a system to enhance these capabilities through the addition of machine learning and artificial intelligence capabilities. Activities include data collection, organization and development of experimental system to perform baseline experiments.