Applied Research Type: Information & Communications

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Exploring virtual reality in and out of the classroom

Today’s virtual reality technology has the potential to enhance the student learning experience in a multitude of ways. The Mohawk College research team wanted to find some of the best ways virtual reality and 360-degree camera technology could help media and entertainment students to create visual content, and to learn about other areas where the technology could be applied.

To do that, the research team experimented with using new visual technologies to produce three-dimensional, computer-generated environments through virtual reality and explored 360-degree camera technology to learn about techniques for enhancing learning. The team also reviewed editing software for 360 cameras and virtual reality.

The project provided an opportunity to try cutting-edge tools, to connect and generate new partnerships in the 360 /VR industry and also let students extend beyond traditional content creation to offer innovative storytelling and presentation opportunities to clients. Sectors interested in the potential of virtual reality and what Mohawk College students are learning include the health sciences, music, home design, real estate and gaming — which may open up the potential of field placements and internships for students.

Three students were assigned to work on the project for two to three hours a week for 21 weeks, experimenting with the technology, troubleshooting and researching new technologies and applications.

The research also provided a better understanding of what to buy — although members of the research team started by looking at high-end camera equipment, they decided consumer products, capable of providing the same learning fundamentals, would be the best route to follow.

Possibly the greatest benefit from the research came from connecting with people already using the technology and with people who work in media and entertainment, who helped further explore the uses of 360 and virtual technology — the team learned from them, and partners became aware that Mohawk College’s media and entertainment programs are adopting and immersing students in the latest innovations.

Funded by: Mohawk College Applied Research and Innovation in Education Fund (ARIE)

About Mohawk College

Mohawk College educates and serves 30,000 full-time, part-time and apprenticeship students at three campuses in Hamilton, Ontario. More than 1,200 international students from over 70... Learn more
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Building a bridge to change: connecting post-secondary teachers and staff with student diversity

The population of post-secondary students is becoming increasingly diverse. Over time, colleges and universities have seen increasing numbers of students from diverse cultural, ethnic, and first-language groups (including Indigenous students).

But other types of differences are also becoming more common, like cognitive and neuro diversity in students with autism, Asperger’s and ADHD. Institutions are also more aware of gender diversity, both among different gender identities and also through recognition some gender groups are underrepresented, such as women in engineering and computing.

This project hinges on the fundamental notion that educators welcome diversity and embrace the increasing diversity of student population as positive — but at the same time, speaks directly to the reality that supporting an increasingly diverse student body requires more resources, awareness, and new knowledge.

The project sought to develop an effective model to help post-secondary teachers and academic staff engage with increasing diversity positively, sensitively, and strategically. The objective is to leverage the power of community-based expertise to drive responses to diversity, and empower all participants in the diversity conversation.

To do that, the project used an indigenous framework to allow organic engagement at many levels within communities and institutions. Based on that framework, the project team created a series of panels, workshops and tools to help people engage with diversity. Some of the workshops so far have been on the Culture of mentoring; Language and diversity; and Gender diversity.

The project is in its second year and the team is running small, customized workshops for individual departments, focused on student resiliency, teamwork, mentoring and diversity. The team is also designing a digital diversity map, which will be an open digital resource to link the project, resources, and people to other diversity projects, resources, and people. The map, like the project framework, involves a strong research creation aspect informed by a Coast Salish aesthetic, envisioned by artist and collaborator Aaron “Splash” Nelson-Moody.

Students and highly qualified people have been engaged at every stage of this project and are intensifying their involvement this year.

Funded by: BCIT Faculty and Staff Association, Community and College Social Innovation Fund

About British Columbia Institute of Technology

For over 50 years, the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) has been a leader among Canadian post-secondary institutions. Offering an applied, hands-on education that... Learn more
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Bridging the gap between parking management and technology

Drivers with smart cars and smart phones are looking for smarter parking spots, and Precise ParkLink is working to meet that demand. Precise ParkLink is a North York, Ontario-based company involved in all aspects of the parking business, from building parking lots to providing equipment and attendants for them, to managing the revenue they generate.

Having recognized that as the public becomes more tech savvy and dependant on its mobile phones, its expectation for a different way to pay for parking would grow, Precise ParkLink developed a web-based portal called i PASS, designed to streamline the process.

Precise ParkLink then approached Durham College to develop a new multi-platform software system by upgrading its existing system and adding many capabilities to improve the technical infrastructure and enhance the end-user experience.

Durham College worked with Precise ParkLink to develop iPass-X, an iOS app. Combined with a developed Web API, the app creates a secure login portal for the data infrastructure in the company’s control centre. It allows clients to register, update and maintain their personal and parking profiles, view past transactions, and find out about new parking services. The user-friendly design conforms to industry standards and Apple’s application requirements.

Two students from the Computer Programmer Analyst program developed the iOS application, completing the project in nine months. Through the project, they advanced their skills in planning and constructing a structured outline for mobile apps for both iOS and Android.

“The students that we have worked with provide a depth of knowledge to keep the project on track, both in timing and budget. It is refreshing to connect with our future leaders,” the company said in a statement.

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Partner(s): Precise ParkLink
Funded by: College and Community Innovation Program, Engage Grant, NSERC

About Durham College

At Durham College, the student experience comes first. With campuses in Oshawa and Whitby, Ont. along with a learning site in Pickering, the college offers... Learn more
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Asset and Inventory Management System

Keeping track of the conditions of the thousands of poles, holes, signs and lights that line the streets of cities and towns — keeping track of the streets themselves — is a huge job. Traditionally, municipalities have left the task of keeping track of the state of road conditions and infrastructure to staff (sometimes driving around for other reasons), or random checks and public complaints.

It’s a haphazard approach that may or may not get the job done, and North-Line Canada Ltd., recognized an opportunity to create an inventory-management system that could be installed in any vehicle and tailored to each client’s needs.

North-Line collaborated with Durham College to develop the Asset Inventory and Management System (AIMS). AIMS can track the condition of roads and infrastructure, automatically registering key assets like fire hydrants, traffic control signs, hydro lines, road incursions and even bus enclosures.

AIMS, which can be plugged into any vehicle, has an easy-to-view display, real-time GPS, wireless temperature and infra-red sensors and multiple wireless cameras. All connect to the module for full video recording. This lets AIMS log data on assets in real time, with limited user input. Its features can also be turned on and off based on the level of function the customer purchases.

AIMS should significantly reduce labour costs and allow the customer to manage and maintain assets, while eliminating the high incidence of human error, and ensuring upgrades and system deployments run effectively.

Two students with backgrounds in database development worked on this project to connect and develop a system of sensors that were then programmed on a device. They were required to order parts according to specifications and troubleshoot the entire system, enhancing their communication and problem-solving skills.

The project helped the students to develop and refine their technical and business skills, increasing their likelihood of being hired quickly when they graduated.

“The project was a game changer for us, connecting academic with practical experience; it was of great benefit to our company and the students.”

Funded by: Ontario Centres of Excellence

About Durham College

At Durham College, the student experience comes first. With campuses in Oshawa and Whitby, Ont. along with a learning site in Pickering, the college offers... Learn more
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A mobile platform to keep patients safely in one place — home

When something goes wrong and patients have to return to hospital for the same problem in the month after they’ve been discharged, it takes a toll both on the individual and the health system. According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, hospital readmissions cost the healthcare system as much as $1.8 billion per year.

It’s estimated, however, that almost 60 per cent of those readmissions could be avoided if those who were most likely to have to return to hospital could be identified and given better care before and after discharge. Older people, those with multiple health problems, those admitted the first time through the emergency department, and men are all more likely to be readmitted within 30 days.

It’s to help such vulnerable patients that ForaHealthyMe.com, a web and mobile virtual care tele-health system, was developed. ForaHealthyMe.com supports pre-operative consultations and post-hospitalization follow-ups for chronically ill and acute-care patients.

The company recently collaborated with Durham College to design and develop a framework to include video conferencing in its platform. It also worked with the college on a tool to help patients manage their chronic conditions at home, with the hospital monitoring them and providing education, consultation and counselling.

The project, which was completed in eight months, involved two computer programming students, who used their skills in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, SQL and data management and — with the integration of Adobe Connect — also experienced a framework that was new to them. Working on this project required the students to learn and expand their skill sets and enhanced their problem-solving skills.

This project considerably expanded the range of services ForaHealthyMe.com offers. The mobile site is live and helping health-care institutions improve the quality of their care and reduce readmissions while enabling patients to do better managing their conditions at home.

Partner(s): ForaHealthyMe Inc.
Funded by: College and Community Innovation Program, Engage Grant, NSERC

About Durham College

At Durham College, the student experience comes first. With campuses in Oshawa and Whitby, Ont. along with a learning site in Pickering, the college offers... Learn more
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Tracking the Wanderers

People with autism or dementia tend to wander, which puts them at risk — so knowing their whereabouts are being tracked 24/7 can give their caregivers peace of mind and help ensure the wandering one’s safety.

That’s why Strategic Smart Inc. developed WeTraq. Unlike other tracking tools that use Bluetooth or GPS, WeTraq is an “internet of things” device. That’s the phrase used to describe objects, from cars to heart monitors, which have embedded software and sensors capable of collecting data and sharing it.

WeTraq is a credit-card-sized device that works by connecting wirelessly to smart phones via its mobile app. Seamless interaction between the WeTraq device and the monitoring phone can be made through cellular, radio, GPS or wireless signals. Battery charges can last up to 28 days, depending on use. When it’s needed for tracking, the location of the WeTraq is locked with proprietary software, which works around the world. The location data is encrypted and sent wirelessly to servers before being sent to the caregiver through the WeTraq app.

The WeTraq project involved two Durham College computer science students, who were responsible for the back-end functionality and database management, and one graphic design student who created a visually appealing and easy-to-use interface. The students acquired new skills, including in-depth code breakdown and analysis, high-level programming, database management and all aspects of web development.

All the features of the device, including report scheduling, geofencing (a program for alerting caregivers when their charge steps outside a defined safe zone) and panic mode are managed by the mobile application.

Thanks to this project, Strategic Smart Inc. is selling its device to more customers and earning increased revenues.

About Durham College

At Durham College, the student experience comes first. With campuses in Oshawa and Whitby, Ont. along with a learning site in Pickering, the college offers... Learn more
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Connecting Link2Feed to Collective Impact Platforms

Link2Feed is a Sarnia-based company that has created software to help food banks and other non-profits across North America (including Sarnia’s Inn of the Good Sheppard) to use data to understand and increase the impact of their work. The software is designed to collect and manage client data in ways that help organizations better understand the people they serve, increase their resources, and demonstrate their value to donors.

The work was a collaboration between Link2Feed and Lambton College’s Information Technology Research Group, led by faculty researcher Len Payne. Their challenge was to enhance the integration capacity of Link2Feed’s software, to give the company’s clients the data and system capabilities they needed to participate in collective projects.

Link2Feed’s software is now integrating successfully with a software in Dallas that helps link the emergency food system with the health-care sector, to improve clients’ health.
Link2Feed used the technology created in this project to create a spin-off platform called “Kids Café,” which integrates with their core platform and has helped emergency food organizations deliver meals to children.

“The research project with Lambton College gave us a fresh perspective on integration and a fantastic support to grow in our research and development efforts,” said a spokesperson for Link2Feed. “We have continued to work with the researchers outside of the project to grow other areas of our technical innovation.”

Partner(s): Link2Feed
Funded by: Ontario Centres of Excellence

About Lambton College

As a post-secondary leader in education, training and research, Lambton College has experienced tremendous growth in recent years. In addition to a significant rise in... Learn more
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Refining brewing at Refined Fool Brewery

The idea of students getting immersed in beer doesn’t exactly go hand in hand with words like “efficiency” and “productivity,” — but they did when a group from Lambton College worked with Refined Fool Brewing Company, a micro-brewery in the heart of downtown Sarnia.

Refined Fool approached Lambton College for help in minimizing the space and labour their brewing process required, while increasing energy savings, efficiency and productivity. The first part of the project allowed the brewers to monitor the brewing process off site using smart devices. The second part automated keg washing, which was previously done by hand.

Faculty Researcher Kevin Ryan and three students from Lambton’s Instrumentation Control Engineering Technology program worked in collaboration with the Refined Fool team to implement the new technology in their facility.

Refined Fool’s partners say working with Lambton College helped increase profits and reduce production and operation costs.

Partner(s): Refined Fool
Funded by: Applied Research and Development (ARD) Grant

About Lambton College

As a post-secondary leader in education, training and research, Lambton College has experienced tremendous growth in recent years. In addition to a significant rise in... Learn more
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Where is the wearable? Improving mine safety

Knowing where workers are is essential for keeping them safe in high-risk environments, such as mines. It is not an easy task: GPS systems rely on satellites, which don’t work underground. It’s an issue that’s central to the work of Vandrico, a Vancouver-based company focused on developing technology to improve information flow in mines — with a particular focus, since 2013, on wearable technology, to help employers keep track of where their workers are.

Vandrico approached Langara College’s Computing Science and Information Systems program with a challenge: to adapt an industrial Wi-Fi network and off-the-shelf wearable technology to keep track of employees underground. Program Coordinator Kim Lam, working with students Calvin Hu and Edmond Wong, used his radio frequency engineering background to tackle that challenge. They tested both smart watches and industrial cell phones as possible options to serve as the wearable technology, since workers commonly use both.

Over six months, Lam and the two students came up with a smart phone app called ConnectedWorker, which greatly improved the precision of this new type of locating system. The students, who each contributed more than 100 hours to the project, testing and gathering data, were tremendously excited to know their work was real-world relevant.

The outcome of this project was a much greater precision in locating people than Vandrico’s previous solution, and one that should make mine workers safer and better able to react to incidents underground.

“We are very happy to have advanced the capabilities of indoor and underground location tracking using wearable technologies,” says Vandrico President Kenny McKenzie. “Langara College has produced an order-of-magnitude improvement in locating abilities with this technology.”

The improvement will be important in bidding on future projects, as well as being an intellectual property asset for Vandrico.

About Langara College

Located in beautiful Vancouver, B.C., Langara College is a leading undergraduate institution providing university studies, career studies, and continuing education programs and courses to more... Learn more
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A voyage to the bottom of the sea — by sonar

Understanding the ocean, its creatures and possibilities requires understanding where it ends: the ocean floor. But mapping that remote territory is by no means easy. A team from Nova Scotia Community College recently worked with industry partners to evaluate a new approach to imaging the bottom of the sea.

The partners were evaluating R2Sonic multibeam echosounders, an improved method of sonar backscatter imaging that greatly increases the information returned by sonar surveys of the ocean floor. Types of data that can be derived from a multibeam echosounder survey include water depth, which can be used to show the elevation of the sea floor, its reflectivity, or backscatter, which indicates how hard and rough the bottom is, and water column data including the size and strength of reflectors such as bubbles, fish and plankton in the water.

According to project partner R2Sonic, their new technology allows systems to collect backscatter data at multiple frequencies in a single pass, with one vessel and one sonar system — which results in considerable savings in time and cost.

“The capability to image the seafloor simultaneously with widely separated acoustic frequencies will allow for improved classification and characterization capabilities in addition to a host of other applications that are yet to be discovered,” R2Sonic’s website says.

Leading the evaluation was Dr. Jonathan Beaudoin, chief scientist at QPS evaluation services, who worked with Dr. Craig Brown of Nova Scotia Community College and with Mike Brissette of R2Sonic. The trials were conducted in Halifax’s Bedford Basin in August of 2016. During two sets of field trials, QPS provided software support for acquiring and processing data.

This project will save industries (such as fisheries) considerable cost because it will allow them to map larger areas of the ocean floor using fewer resources, including less vessel time. Industry partners have incorporated this technology into their operations and use the results in their decision making processes. Students were hired as research assistants to work on the project.

Partner(s): QPS, R2Sonic
Funded by: Community and College Social Innovation Fund, NSERC

About Nova Scotia Community College

Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) is committed to building Nova Scotia’s economy and quality of life through education and innovation, transforming Nova Scotia one learner... Learn more