Innovative Projects Realized

Research on anisotropic friction of ferroelectric polymer via atomic force microscopy

This project aims to explore the mechanical behaviors of ferroelectric polymers, focusing on P(VDF-TrFE), through atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques. By investigating the frictional properties of P(VDF-TrFE) and similar materials using AFM-based methods such as transverse shear microscopy (TSM) and friction force microscopy (FFM), the project seeks to uncover the relationship between electrical polarization and frictional anisotropy. The findings from this research are expected to provide valuable insights into the correlation between the electrical and mechanical properties of ferroelectric polymers, which can have significant implications for various applications, including energy harvesting, sensors, and biomedical devices. Through this project, there expect to be an advancement in imaging and characterization for AFM techniques that could contribute to such research fields.

Connecter l’Atlantique : une histoire environnementale de l’Amérique française (1603-1763)

L’histoire de l’Amérique française est, assurément, en plein renouvellement : sous le double coup des avancées de l’histoire globale et de l’histoire impériale, la Nouvelle-France est désormais réinsérée dans un jeu à plusieurs échelles où interagissent les espaces caribéen, nord-américain et européen. Pour autant, si l’histoire sociale et l’histoire urbaine ont déjà bénéficié de l’élargissement de ces horizons, les historiennes et historiens de l’environnement se sont encore peu emparés de l’espace néo-français, privilégiant les XIXe et XXe siècles. À ce titre, alors que l’histoire environnementale de la Nouvelle-France apparaît comme un champ de recherche prometteur, l’intégration de l’espace politique nord-américain dans un espace atlantique qui connecte les territoires plus qu’il ne les sépare paraît stimulante, notamment parce que la circulation atlantique elle-même est un enjeu de la formation et de l’administration des empires coloniaux.
Ce projet de recherche entend ainsi apporter une contribution à l’étude de l’environnement nord-américain et à la compréhension des modalités de la circulation des savoirs sur l’environnement de part et d’autre de l’Atlantique. Il s’intéressera à la construction et aux expériences partagées des connaissances sur l’environnement dans la colonie comme dans la métropole.

Advance directives at the end of life in people with cancer in palliative care

The proposed project aims to explore the significance of advance directives for people with cancer in palliative care in Medellín, Antioquia. This study is crucial for healthcare professionals and institutions involved in end-of-life care. The findings will provide valuable insights for direct caregivers, training programs in healthcare, administrative decisions in palliative care settings, and the development of institutional care strategies. This project will contribute to improving care quality and enhancing the integration of palliative care across different healthcare actors, institutions, care levels, and environments in both Colombia and Canada.

Machine Learning and Software developer interns working within cross-functional teams to develop and commercialize AI-powered solutions in the Public Services sector (1)

AltaML builds artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled solutions to business problems. We work with organisations, bringing together their data and domain expertise with our AI expertise, to develop AI solutions that are deployed in their operations. We also commercialize AI-enabled products business via industry-specific ventures, yielding scalability from our investment in the first solution.

Competition for tech talent is fierce, and our talent strategy includes a talent accelerator program, designed to rapidly equip highly qualified individuals with hands-on work experience in applied AI while providing partners with continuous and cost-effective development of AI solutions. AltaML’s AI Lab for Government, also known as GovLab, is a talent accelerator for public service professionals, post-secondary students and recent graduates. GovLab.ai’s mission is to set a global example of how to transform the public sector through applied AI, and is designed to encourage the growth of technical and business AI skill sets that are in high demand across Alberta and around the world. The project comprises internships in a variety of technical and business roles within our organization and within our GovLab program. Within the organization, roles include associate machine learning developer, business development associate, communications associate and finance associate.

Stop-level probabilistic demand forecasting for public transit services

This project aims to develop advanced statistical methods to forecast how many passengers will be waiting at bus stops at any given time, considering various factors such as weather and special events. This project will do two main things. First, we will forecast the overall number of passengers over a given period, such as an hour. This level of aggregate demand forecasting can help transit agencies to design bus routes and schedules. Second, we will forecast the passenger flow for each bus at every stop. This granular demand forecasting allows for real-time adjustments to manage crowding and improve the overall passenger experience. For our partner organization, this project offers the dual benefits of enhancing the passenger experience—making public transit a more attractive option for commuters—and contributing to environmental goals by optimizing operations.

Improving Safety of The Intended Functionality (SOTIF) analysis for Autonomous Vehicles

The proposed research project, undertaken by interns at Robosafety, an emerging startup, aims to enhance safety engineering in autonomous systems such as self-driving cars and AI-driven robots. By simplifying and improving the safety assurance process, this initiative seeks to significantly reduce the time and effort required for validating safety compliance. The end goal is to facilitate the deployment of safe, reliable autonomous systems that adhere to global safety norms, thus promoting broader acceptance. This project is expected to benefit the partner organization by leveraging Robosafety’s rich industrial experience to address key challenges in safety assurance, offering innovative solutions and developing a comprehensive safety engineering application to support the automotive and manufacturing industries in maintaining safety throughout the product lifecycle.

Explication de l’insatisfiabilité en modélisation par contraintes pour des problèmes d’optimisation industriels

Depuis 2018, Thales Digital Solutions développe des systèmes d’optimisation et d’aide à la décision ayant pour but d’accélérer la transformation numérique de ses industries, en particulier dans les domaines militaire et aérospatial. Ces systèmes reposent sur des approches de modélisation par contraintes et permettent de résoudre des problèmes d’optimisation particulièrement complexes. Lors de l’utilisation de ces systèmes, le choix des données fournies par un utilisateur peut mener à un modèle incorrect, impliquant qu’aucune solution au problème n’existe. On dit alors que le problème est insatisfiable et il est habituellement difficile d’en obtenir la raison. Ainsi, l’objectif général de ce projet est de développer des méthodes d’explication de l’insatisfiabilité afin que les utilisateurs soient en mesure de comprendre le ou les conflit(s) et de corriger les données adéquatement selon leur expertise du domaine d’application, sans nécessiter l‘expertise technique du modèle.

Sustainability and the Wine Industry in the Okanagan valley of BC

The study focuses on sustainable practices employed by wineries and wine growers in the Okanagan valley of BC. The focus of this internship will be to understand fully how one winery – Quails Gate winery in West Kelowna- carries out sustainable practices at various stages of its production, distribution and the marketing of its products. The expected benefit for the organization is to receive an audit of the various processes it uses, the pros and cons of such processes, and some insight into where improvements can be made.

Extending Data Security in a distributed storage system

45Drives offers its customers the ability to store massive amounts of data in-house, giving those customers a high level of data sovereignty. To do this 45Drives uses the opensource software Ceph which interconnects many servers into a distributed storage system. A limitation of Ceph is that it only provides data security at transit but provides no native encryption mechanism to secure stored data at rest. In our previous work we implemented an encryption module for Ceph and a key management system, but we have yet to integrate these two components to achieve security at rest support for Ceph. A critical limitation we face is that such an integration must have a minimal impact on the runtime performance of the system. Additionally, we are extending Ceph’s data security to the application level using homomorphic encryption, enabling an application to perform computations on ciphertext instead of plaintext. Consequently, customers deploying Ceph can ensure that their data is protected even when it is processed by third parties using untrusted platforms. Given that there has been little research into how current homomorphic encryption (HE) technologies fit into distributed storage solutions, we believe that our research provides practical insights into the use of HE.

Exploring the Synergy of Footwear and Bra Support on Running Mechanics in Real-World Conditions

This study examines how sports bras and running shoes impact how female runners move. We want to understand how these affect performance and comfort. We will study 15 female runners using special sensors while they run outdoors. They will do a 20-minute run followed by a 5k run to make them tired. Then, they will run for 5 minutes in different bras and shoes. We will look at how these things change how they run and how comfortable they feel. Our goal is to help make better sports clothes for female runners.

Machine learning techniques for developing virtual sensors of water flow rates in building cooling systems

The scope of this project is the development of virtual sensors that use mathematical models along with measurements data from the Building Automation System, and can be installed in mechanical cooling systems pf large commercial and institutional buildings, instead of electromagnetic or ultrasonic water flow meters. The proposed virtual sensors would provide a low-cost, practical, and non-intrusive method to monitor the chilled and condenser water mass flow rates, and help for the fault detection and diagnosis of chillers, and the monitoring of chillers performance.
The partner, Mariner Partners Inc. DBA SHIFT Energy, from Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, can use the thermodynamic mathematical models generated in this project to develop computer applications that can be integrated in the Building Automation Systems of HVAC systems. The computer applications developed by the partner can be used across Canada in large commercial and institutional buildings, for example for more efficient energy use, and detection and diagnostic of faults. The improved energy efficiency in chilled water plants represents a large opportunity for demand and GHG reductions – a priority for Canada going forward. Virtual flow metering will expand the addressable market for energy efficiency projects in central cooling plants.

An Innovative Model of Pediatric ACute Mental Health and AddictioNs Care to Increase Value to Children, Youth, and the Healthcare System: The PACMAN Study

The PACMAN Study seeks to understand experiences and satisfaction with care and outcomes of children and youth who used mental health services as well as their parents and caregivers at the above-mentioned hospitals, including an economic evaluation conducted by the IHE on the impact of the intervention on healthcare resource use and costs in youth with mental health and addiction conditions.
The purpose of the PACMAN study is to implement and evaluate an integrated, evidence-based approach to family-centered, acute mental health and addiction care.
The goal of the PACMAN study is to provide the right care, with the right people, at the right place and time.