Innovative Projects Realized

Simple Perfusion Reconstruction Algorithm Clinical Research Study and Development

CT angiograms (CTA) are used to detect vessel occlusions in the brain in stroke patients and are a diagnostic criteria of acute stroke. Current standards of care require that an additional CT perfusion scan to be taken in order
to accurately locate large and medium-vessel occlusions, allowing for the administering of endovascular therapy (EVT) to the patient. These scans are expensive, expose the patient to additional radiation, inaccessible in rural
and remote areas and crucially takes more time.
SPIRAL is a machine learning algorithm that accurately detects large vessel occlusions (LVO) in the brain following stroke using only CTA imaging. Currently, the market demand for SPIRAL remains to be determined and
SPIRAL requires continuous deployment to reach a commercially viable product. Gavin Lau will benefit from working on this project by: (1) obtaining further training in advanced MRI imaging and CT perfusion image
processing methods, machine-learning algorithms, and image analysis; and (2) learning to commercialize our product through the Lab2Market program, preparing him for a career in medical innovation and technology.

Ocean Sound Speed Profile Estimation Using the Pulse-Echo Technique

The proposed research project aims to develop a method for estimating sound speed profiles in underwater environments. By utilizing pulse-echo acoustic techniques, we can accurately determine the sound speed, which is crucial for various applications such as ocean acoustic studies. The expected benefits to our partner organization include improved underwater acoustic measurements, enhanced mapping of oceanic features, and better management of fisheries. This research has the potential to revolutionize sound speed estimation, leading to advancements in multiple industries and sectors, particularly in oceanography and fisheries, thus fostering sustainable practices and scientific understanding of our marine environments.

Elastic Coarse-Grained Reconfigurable Arrays

Standard microprocessors are not getting faster anymore, however, consumer and industry demand for faster and lower-power computing is insatiable. The project aims to research and develop a novel computer-hardware platform to be used for accelerated low-power computing versus the use of microprocessors. The new hardware platform, called a coarse-grained reconfigurable array (CGRAs), can be configured accordingly for a specific application. The platform is comprised of a 2D array of user-configurable computational blocks that can be programmably connected to one another. The platform is “elastic” in the sense that its internal computational blocks perform their work whenever input data is ready, rather than performing work at fixed prescheduled times. CGRAs are a promising candidate for realization of future application accelerators, both in the datacentre/cloud, as well as at the edge.

Quantum Chemistry and Optimization

The project consist of an exploration of molecules simulation with the help of high power computation and quantum computer. Specifically for this project, one of the following will be simulated:
CO2, CH4, H2, N2, and O2 or small organic molecules or Metal-Organic Frameworks

MyHomie

The proposed project aims to commercialize our innovative real estate platform, MyHomie, by launching the V2.0 version to achieve product-market fit. Our larger goal is to develop an automated process that allows homebuyers and sellers to transact with just one click. We understand that this is an ambitious objective, but we believe that it is attainable with the right resources and commitment. The project goal is the successful commercialization of MyHomie buyers app. It will greatly benefit Keylo by creating new revenue streams. This project will also allow us to attract and retain top talent, further improving our technological capabilities and competitive advantage. By prioritizing the features that the market demands and integrating user feedback, we aim to establish ourselves as a leading innovator in the real estate industry, with MyHomie becoming the go-to platform for buying homes.

HDL x Ayogo: Lifeplan Coach’s Assistant

LifePlan is a platform designed to improve outcomes through effective Shared Decision Making (SDM), structured education and behavioral science-based goal setting. The platform creates value for human services, healthcare, and innovative life sciences companies by helping their clients become effective participants in their own care journey.

Ayogo, a key driver of innovation within the digital healthcare space since 2010 is partnering with the Health Design Lab, a research and design center at Emily Carr University to further develop the Life Coach portion of the platform. Coaching is a powerful technique for improving healthcare outcomes, but it is also expensive and hard to scale due to a multitude of factors — Coaches must keep track of the psychological, medical and psychosocial context of each patient, record it in some form of database, and then apply their intuition and training to that context.

The project will help to eliminate the friction by building AI tools to support coaches and develop tools that will make the coaching process both scalable and more motivational.

Empathetic Spaces Partnership – Open Source STEAM Kits and Publications

The Empathetic Spaces Partnership is an interdisciplinary research program investigating new materials, tools, methods and frameworks in the field of living responsive architecture, a new sub-discipline of architecture that focuses on how buildings respond to their occupants. The proposed research project supports this by having the intern document and be involved in developing concepts, tools and knowledge behind responsive architectural testbeds used by the Living Architecture Systems Group and its partners. This allows Riverside Architectural Press to translate innovative research from experts and engage with a wider audience that includes researchers, artists, and designers. Creation of a kit for interactive architecture allows for the distillation of key LASG concepts into a digestible learning tool for STEAM education. By drawing from principles of Open Source, the publications and kit engages students and the community, creating a critical discourse through making and design research that will be available to all Canadians.

Platform of multifunctional biopolymer food packaging applications improving sustainability of food packaging & extending shelf-life

The proposed multifunctional platform of bioplastics demonstrates an attractive alternative to food packaging, improving the sustainability of plastics within the food sector, reducing our dependence on fossil-based polymers. The optimized biopolymers meet the expectations of safety and other benefits of plastics for both, the consumers and retailers. Our proposed formulations can handle higher temperatures for critical application, such as retort or sterilization processes, extend the shelf-life of packaged food products; furthermore, our solution can be directly integrated within the existing infrastructure of plastics manufacturers, minimizing markup on the cost of existing non-renewable single-use plastics. CFIN funding will allow us to acquire a key piece of piloting extrusion equipment to
scale up previously developed formulations to higher TRL levels. With the potential to scale up nationally, the compostable bioplastic will accelerate the adoption of sustainable bio-based alternatives, providing all the economic benefits of plastic products, without the negative environmental impact.

Novel oxyfluoride photosensitive glasses and glass ceramics

As a PhD student, my work revolves around the synthesis and characterization of novel oxyfluoride indium-based glass ceramics with a wide transmission range in the infrared, for an application in small-scale photonic components. Our team discovered a new crystalline phase exhibiting interesting optical properties ; my goal is to synthetize this phase in as many physical forms as possible and to analyze it through various methods of characterization. The search for this knowledge will also lead us to explore new glass and glass-ceramics compositions based on the crystal. This extensive study will allow for a much better understanding of the properties and potential applications of this entirely new compound.”

Near Infrared Camera Utilizing Nanomaterials and Nanotechnologies

Near-infrared (NIR) imaging systems play a vital role in human tissue imaging. These systems can facilitate various vital clinical applications. Such applications enable real-time metabolic monitoring, non-invasive imaging of the lymphatic system, and mapping of microvasculature blood flow. In this research, the problem to be addressed is the lack of accessibility to cheap near infrared (NIR) imaging systems used for regular health examinations. This is especially true for the people residing in remote areas. The design of the NIR imaging camera incorporated a silicon CMOS chip integrated with colloidal quantum dots. To ensure the accuracy of the imaging, optimization and calibration of the imaging system can be performed. To test and validate the camera’s performance, we can perform experimental studies and compare them with the existing NIR imaging systems. User feedback can be collected to ensure the effectiveness of the camera. The diagnostic capabilities of the camera can be assessed by comparing them with established clinical standards.

Bio Fermentation Process for High Performance Dyes Manufacturing

The dye and pigment industry is identified as one of the biggest pollutive and toxic industries. For instance, the textile dye industry is the second largest water polluter, producing 20% of the world’s wastewater using 800,000 tones of synthetic dyes annually. Many of the dyes and chemicals used have been highlighted as causing irretrievable damage to the environment, health of workers and citizens near the facilities.
Lite-1 utilizes innovative technologies like synthetic biology and biofabrication in pursuit of a novel solution. Many bacteria naturally produce colourful, non-toxic pigments. Through the lens of design, we identify and study organisms that produce the market’s desired colours. Lite-1 dyes reduce water pollution, are safe for workers as well as the ecosystem, and eliminate our dependence on nonrenewable resources. The product offers an overhaul to the dye industry to shift from one of the preeminent polluters to a regenerative and more humane industry.
This project is focused on scaling up our biomanufacturing process using precision fermentation allowing us to increase our production capacity, improve our efficiency, and reduce our per-unit production costs. These are important challenges to overcome to allow us to build and deliver our commercialization milestones.

Increasing the efficiency of quantum computers through semiconductor structuring

Since the mid-nineteenth century, technology has advanced at an exponential rate due to the large demand for computing power and performance. We are presently at a critical point where the switch from classical to quantum computing is required, however, the technology is still in its infancy. Unlike classical computers, which control information flow through bits of either 0 or 1, quantum computers use quantum bits, or qubits, that can contain both the 0 and 1 bits via a superposition. While many methods have since been proposed to improve the application and feasibility quantum computing, one of promise is using photonics. Here, entangled photons (particles of light) are used as qubits, however, the efficiency of qubit creation is currently quite low. Making use of our optics and photonics expertise, this work will look to design, fabricate, and implement new semiconducting structures to yield higher qubit efficiency and improve upon the growing field of quantum computing.