Innovative Projects Realized

Using CityEngine for Parameterized 3D Modelingof Regional Growth Scenarios

In 2006, the Government of Ontario introduced “Places to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe” to control urban sprawl, protect farmland and green spaces, create complete communities and revitalize downtowns and urban centres. Key specifications include minimum intensification targets, such as requiring 40% of new residential development to occur in existing built-up areas. A recently published report by Allen and Campsie (2013) found that many municipalities across the Toronto region are not planning to adhere to the mandated intensifications targets. This internship will examine the impact of various growth scenarios on urban form for a case study municipality by developing 3D models in Esri’s CityEngine software. The intern will investigate the use of procedurally generated streets, blocks, and neighbourhoods for efficient visualization of development options. These visualizations will contribute to stakeholder and citizen engagement in regional planning through a Web-based application. It enables novel scenario modeling for effective advocacy and policy making to support economically and environmentally sustainable growth.

Leading Treaty Implementation: A Gendered Analysis of Progress and Challenges in Promoting Treaties

This research project will examine the challenges that prevent the proper implementation and awareness of treaties, made between the Canadian government and First Nations in Saskatchewan. We will analyze these barriers from different angles, including the role of organizational and social frameworks, and women’s leadership in Indigenous community organizations. Using feminist and decolonial perspectives, we will identify strategies being used to overcome barriers and recommend priorities for continuing success in the area. The intern will have the opportunity to work with a diverse team of professionals, taking on a leadership role in developing a report on treaty implementation to enhance the work of the Saskatchewan Indigenous Cultural Centre (SICC). The SICC will benefit from the intern’s work as it will inform their efforts to work with their partners in the facilitation of treaty implementation in the province. This research aims to contribute to improving relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples by enhancing understanding of contemporary issues surrounding treaties in Saskatchewan.

Design and Implementation of an External-Cavity Laser (ECL) as a Tunable Coherent Source for Optical Communication and Sensing Applications Using Hybrid Integration

FONEX Data System Inc. is developing solutions to address the challenges that telecommunication service providers face in upgrading their access networks to sustain the growth in data traffic. A critical component of the solutions is low cost widely tunable laser modules. In this internship project, a novel laser source is proposed based on external cavity laser (ECL) configuration that can provide low-noise wideband tunability with narrower linewidths. This ECL source helps addressing commercial issues in increasing the number and bandwidth of optical communication channels. Moreover, the proposed module can be directly utilized in other applications, such as an optical sensor to detect a variety of measurands. For example, it can be used as a diagnostic optical biosensor which is affordable and portable. Such sensitive and reliable diagnostic sensor helps health service providers to run remote rapid test in many cases, like preventing the COVID-19 pandemic spread that we all experienced.

Telops : Télédétection de méthane

Telops a développé une solution complète pour l’inspection aéroportée de détection de méthane. Cette solution, basée sur la caméra hyperspectrale infrarouge thermique HCAM (Hyper-Cam Airborne Mini), a un volet important
de traitement des données. Les données acquises lors de vols d’inspection sont sous la forme d’images de radiance spectrale et d’images visibles, le tout géoréférencé. Les traitements numériques pour effectuer la
détection du méthane dans les données sont essentiellement basés sur des principes de spectroscopie. Les calculs produisent des images de scores, dont la valeur du score est proportionnelle à la probabilité de présence
de méthane. Cependant, la méthode prédit parfois un score élevé en l’absence de méthane, et donc de fausses alarmes. Actuellement, une inspection manuelle des résultats est nécessaire pour éliminer les détections qui
semblent être fausses. Dans ce projet, l’objectif est d’explorer diverses approches exploitant des algorithmes d’intelligence artificielle (IA) afin de réduire, et idéalement éliminer, le besoin d’inspection manuelle.

EcoFRP Engineering: Advancing Sustainable Composite Materials with Engineered Polymers

This project will implement a more effective way to recycle composite materials.

Creating accessible solutions to mobility – Impect Solution

Founded in 2022, Impect Solutions’ goal is to provide everyone the ability to age in place, without sacrificing grace and dignity. Impect Solutions creates relationships with consumers in order to provide high-quality and elegant age-in-place solutions to everyone. Consumers are ensured that they can age with care, safety and grace using Impect Solutions products. Impect Solutions is constantly striving to change the game, today, tomorrow and always. Their customers are the centre of our design thinking. Impect Solutions is in continuous pursuit of solutions that are inclusive and respectful to the needs of customers and our planet.

In New Brunswick, 21.9% of the population is aged 65 and over making New Brunswick among the top jurisdictions for the highest proportion of older citizens in Canada . The New Brunswick Health Council completed two surveys and found that “providing care in non-traditional settings, such as home care services (HSS), is indispensable to ensuring the viability of the health care system and to supporting older citizens to age independently at home and in their communities for as long as possible.” The Government of New Brunswick’s “An Aging Strategy for NB” indicated that access and navigation of services and support have been a consistent barrier. There is a need for businesses to better connect with and support their clients in aging in place. As such, this project aims at increasing the outreach, and understanding of our clientele and being more responsive and supportive to our audience.

Development of Herd Navigator as a health management tool for dairy farms

Herd Navigator (HN) is a “precision technology” for dairy cow management based on in-inline milk sampling and advanced data analysis. This system has recently come to market in Canada. The proposed project will combine analysis of data from the HN system and controlled field trials to develop and validate best management practices for health, production and reproduction. This research will benefit the dairy industry as a whole by providing better information that help improve diagnostic, therapeutic and management plans resulting in the well-being of dairy cattle and profit to the dairy producer. Our industry partner (DeLaval-Canada) will benefit from this project by generating evidence-based information that can help in promotion, marketing and user support for the product.

A leading economic industry: Creating a consultant hub for the Cannabis Sector

Rhize is a consulting and fertilizer company that is determined to provide quality products and services to those who would like to advance their growing capabilities. Our aim is to become a one-stop-shop for every grower large and small for any service need. A major challenge in the Atlantic Canadian cannabis market is the lack of educated consultant professionals and services aimed at supporting the legal recreational cannabis market. FIGR Inc completed a consumer study indicating legal recreational cannabis is considered a key driver of regional economic growth1. Deloitte’s report “An Industry Makes Its Mark: The Economic and Social Impact of Canada’s Cannabis Sector” identified that the sector is already making a significant contribution to Canada’s economy. 2 As economic development and growth are a key priority in New Brunswick and Atlantic Canada as a whole, this industry makes a sizeable impact. However, the rapid increase of sales and sector contributions is lacking professional consultant-style support and services aimed at sustaining the private industry. This project will create a long-term business strategy, identifying key growth sectors and areas for improvement, resulting in a professional consultant hub that will support Atlantic Canada’s legal recreational cannabis market.

Brewery industry by-products as novel ingredients in the beverage, food and pet food industries

Bioactive peptides obtained from grains can be employed to prevent or treat several diseases such as diabetes, cancer, etc., and potentially contribute to the sensory profile (e.g., texture, mouthfeel) of foods and beverages. Brewery industry has two major by-products, namely Brewer’s spent grain and spent yeast, that are suitable for the production of bioactive peptides. This project will explore bioactive protein hydrolysates from brewery by-products and their techno-functional properties (e.g., water solubility, gelling properties) to be tested in a variety of beverages foods. Accordingly, the project results will add value to the partner organization’s by-products to emerge as novel ingredients for the plant-based foods industry for enhanced health benefits and physical quality.

Giving Canadians a Boost in Education – BoostEdu

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, children across Canada have suffered in the classroom. A study conducted by Whitley, Beauchamp and Brown (2021) explains the gaps in Canadian students’ education as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. These impacts include school closures, termination on community-based services, unstable and unreliable wifi, and lack of support while homeschooling. BoostEdu’s goal is to provide students with the tools they need to excel scholastically in a variety of methods. BoostEdu provides this service through tutoring, exam preparation and ESL/FSL studies 100% remote with an educational specialist for each service.
This project will help BoostEdu expand their services nationwide thus closing the gap in students’ education created by COVID-19 across Canada. BoostEdu started offering their tutoring services across New Brunswick, then expanded into all of Atlantic Canada. Recently they’ve decided it’s time to expand this service to all Canadians.

Developing a comprehensive retention strategy for Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) Health Services

Building on trends that started pre-covid, the recruitment and retention of employees has challenged most organizations in recent years. Within the Canadian healthcare context, the Government of Canada and Government of Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) is prioritizing training and retention of health care workers. Through this project, NL Health Services is seeking a MITACS student to develop a comprehensive retention strategy for NL Health Services. The student intern will play an important role in helping the organization prepare for this critically needed, comprehensive retention strategy.

Market research and advancements in new undercarriage photography technology.

Glo 3D, a Toronto-based technology startup, is pioneering a game-changing undercarriage photography technology to revolutionize vehicle inspections. Inspired by automotive industry demands, their mission extends to diverse sectors such as trucking, heavy machinery, military, and government inspections. Tackling challenges head-on, they’re conducting comprehensive research across industries to tailor their business strategy and pricing models accordingly. Simultaneously, they’re enhancing their core perspective correction algorithm through advanced methodologies. This project envisions a future where undercarriage inspections are streamlined and safety is elevated across various sectors. Glo 3D’s commitment to innovation and cross-industry empowerment propels them toward reshaping inspection norms and establishing their technology as a cornerstone of efficiency and reliability. Collaboration and partnerships are at the core of this transformative journey.