Algonquin College has been recognized as a national leader in applied research.
The College is ranked No. 1 nationally in two key areas: Number of Completed Research Projects and Number of Paid Student Researchers.
The results were published Tuesday by Research Infosource Inc. in the 2019 edition of Canada’s Top 50 Research Colleges.
1st Place Winning Project
A live-action video explaining the 60-day challenge process with a combination of on-screen and full-screen overlay motion graphics. The graphics will define and help clients understand difficult and complicated concepts in a simple and effective way.
Industry Partner: Musclebound Mama
Presenters: Morgan Nordskog, Mona Eltahery, Stephen Gagne, Frah Aliaman
Professors: Adam Jarvis & Ken McGinn
2nd Place Winning Project
The aim of this project is to validate the performance of new hot water delivery (HWD) technology-both quantitatively and qualitatively. In particular, the study is to test, categorize, and benchmark the performance of new HWD systems using Cross-Linked Polyethylene (PEX) Piping against conventional piping materials and their associated installations.
Industry Partner: Uponor.inc
Presenters: Karl Murray, Kuwar Dalal, Michael Stevens
Professors: Ali Elwafi
3rd Place Winning Project
We have developed an autonomous chimney cleaning robot intended for the consumer market. It is capable of scaling the walls of a chimney, measuring distance both above and below, all while cleaning the walls of the chimney.
Industry Partner: Algonquin College
Presenters: Steve Sokolowski, Dhaval Khodiyar, Rajesh Kangar, Venkata Sai Yath Chakka
Professor: Gino Rinaldi
The live-action video—built to provide fitness and nutrition coaching for women—placed first at Algonquin’s summer Applied Research Showcase. It was one of 36 projects featured at RE/ACTION on Aug. 9. The event drew a crowd of about 300 people to the DARE District to check out the innovations from more than 100 students and roughly 37 faculty members.
“It’s a nice surprise. I don’t believe it,” said the winning project’s video editor, Mona Eltahery. It’s a day she’s not likely to forget anytime soon. Aside from being awarded top honours, she was also awarded her Canadian citizenship the same day.
The team created the video for Musclebound Mama, a subscription-based, online nutrition-coaching business for women to help change their relationship with food. Their client, Musclebound Mama founder Sophie Smith, said the video does away with documents and 17-minutes of video explaining the “60-day challenge process.” In its place is a live-action video that explains how women can change the way they feel and think about food. The video combines full-screen overlay motion graphics and animation to help clients understand difficult and complicated concepts in a simple and effective way.
“Our team has Mona, who did video editing for 30 years in Egypt, so she did the bulk of the editing work,” explained Media and Design student, Stephen Gagné. “I’m a photographer. I did the green screen replacement, some of the colour keying and a few of the graphics. Frah (Ali Aman) drew everything, and Morgan (Nordskog) who is our lead, did all of the animations, said Gagné. Nordskog couldn’t be at the event because she is currently in Toronto working on a photography project. (Professors Adam Jarvis and Ken McGinn were the project’s faculty advisers.)
Taking to the podium to announce RE/ACTION’s top three winners, incoming President Claude Brulé couldn’t resist snapping a photo of the crowd.
“It’s a real pleasure for me to attend these events. It’s a combination of a lot of effort on our students’ parts, our faculty’s parts and staff, and it shows!” he said proudly. “You guys go all out to create a wonderful moment for our community and for our industry partners to come and visit, explore and discover Algonquin College. This is where the magic happens. This is where discovery happens. This is where development happens in applied research and today is no exception.”
Claiming second place was Energy Efficiency and Performance Simulations of PEX Water-Heating Systems by students Karl Murray, Kuwar Dalal, and Michael Stevens and Professor Ali Elwafi. Their project validates the performance of new hot water delivery (HWD) technology — both quantitatively and qualitatively. In particular, the study is to test, categorize, and benchmark the performance of new HWD systems using Cross-Linked Polyethylene (PEX) Piping against conventional piping materials and their associated installations.
Third place went to Autonomous Robotic Chimney Cleaner (ARCC) by students Steve Sokolowski, Dhaval Khodiyar, Rajesh Kangar, Venkata Sai Yath Chakka, and Professor Gino Rinaldi.
Their “autonomous chimney” functions as a cleaning robot intended for the consumer market. It is capable of scaling the walls of a chimney, measuring distance both above and below, all while cleaning the walls of the chimney.
“This edition we are featuring a very impressive list of projects. The quality of the projects speaks to the calibre of all of you students,” said Cristina Holguin-Pando, Director of Applied Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, during her opening remarks at the tri-annual AC Applied Research Day.
Algonquin’s applied research projects created a lot of media buzz this week. If you missed any of the headline-making projects you can catch them here:
Watch Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technician students demonstrate their Voice-Activated Bionic Arm, featured on CTV Morning Live on Aug. 8.
Listen to the CBC Morning Ottawa segment from Aug. 8 about Vision glasses, a prototype for the blind that allows the user to identify objects, read text, and identify faces.
Photo: Left to Right: Frah Ali Aman, Sophie Smith-Doré (industry partner & founder of Musclebound Mama), Mona Eltahery, Stephen Gagné and incoming President Claude Brulé.
One of our incredible Applied Research teams showcased a new voice-activated bionic arm on CTV Ottawa. Discover the full segment! ctv.news/yz98LJl
Algonquin College and George Brown College have formed a research alliance to explore new ways to collaborate and redefine the Canadian College research landscape.
By utilizing in-house expertise and state-of-the-art facilities, Canadian colleges help industry partners design, prototype and take new products and services to market, playing a critical role in social and economic development. The unique partnership between Algonquin and George Brown marks an important step forward, where two colleges will explore opportunities to share resources, develop best practices and enhance applied research across the region.
Under the agreement, Algonquin and George Brown plan to develop, implement and test new models for innovation and collaboration for applied research. They will look at ways of aligning their centres of excellence to share best practices, build each other’s strengths and minimize competing interests.
“We are proud to partner with George Brown College to pursue new, dynamic applied research opportunities,” said Doug Wotherspoon, Vice President, Innovation and Strategy at Algonquin College. “This agreement will allow us to further hone our capacity to innovate and discover different avenues for collaboration. Algonquin College continues to build on its reputation as a centre of excellence in applied research, and as such, we look forward to working with George Brown.”
Other benefits of the partnership include the possibility of pursuing joint application and grant proposals, and connecting faculty and students with similar interests, to enhance collaboration across institutions.
“This is what the future of research and innovation looks like – interdisciplinary collaboration across jurisdictions to leverage our unique individual strengths and expertise to their greatest potential,” said Dr. Rick Huijbregts, Vice President, Strategy & Innovation at George Brown College. “The George Brown-Algonquin partnership will better position both of our institutions as catalysts of Canadian innovation, leading to high-quality, high-impact outcomes for industry and the communities that we serve.”
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed on June 28 by Algonquin College President, Cheryl Jensen, Senior Vice President Academic, Claude Brule, George Brown College President Anne Sado, and Vice President Academic Dr. Cory Ross. The partnership officially kicked-off on July 15.
Armed white blood cells firing antibody missiles at alien invaders (influenza virus) in Immunity Warriors: Invasion of the Alien Zombies, developed by students at Algonquin College and The Ottawa Hospital mHealth Research Team.
Immunity Warriors: Invasion of the Alien Zombies, a digital motion comic book used to teach children about their immune system, is the focus of new column in the Globe and Mail this week. The project was the result of an award-winning collaboration between The Ottawa Hospital and Algonquin College. The Globe column was written by Dr. Kumanan Wilson, who leads the Ottawa Hospital’s mHealth Lab, located at The Ottawa Hospital at Algonquin College in Algonquin’s F building.
Globe and Mail headline: To combat anti-vaxxer myths, teach children – not parents – to be immunity warriors.
Column: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-to-combat-anti-vaxxer-myths-teach-children-not-parents-to-be/
An Algonquin College applied research team is busy putting out fires. Their firefighting robot was spotlighted on CTV Morning Live last week and was a hit project at RE/ACTION Showcase last Friday.
Watch the interview – https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=1656789 – with Electro-Mechanical Engineering professor Wael Ismaeil, and students, Jamal Virani and Caelan Nicola.
The robot uses infrared flame sensors in order to detect fire in its surroundings. When a fire is detected, the robot fires a water cannon in an attempt to extinguish the flames.
1st Place Winning Project
Diefenbunker Lighting Design Group – Innovative Lighting Design, Modern Lighting Solutions, Economical Conceptualization.
Industry Partner: Diefenbunker
Presenters: Sheldon Johnston, Josh Fergusson, Paul Desaulniers, Dan Doak
Professors: Mauricio Ledon & Leann Nicholson
2nd Place Winning Project
Our team (dotMatrix) was tasked to work with the Canadian Border Services Agency to develop and design an Android app to aid the workflow of Border Service Officers. Advanced Conveyance Examinations (A.C.E) is a tool for Border Service Officers to view and add methods used to conceal illegal goods within vehicles.
Industry Partner: Canada Border Service Agency
Presenters: Jervin Francisco, Cesar Guerrero, Keanu Reeves, Michael Jalowiecki, Dharaksinhra Raj
Professors: Steve Griffith & Su Cheng Lee
3rd Place Winning Project
The objective of this project is to create a fully automated palletizing station using the Fanuc robot arm. The station will work with the existing MPS modules in the school. It will take the boxes produced by the system, stack them on a skid, and wrap them in order to be sent out for shipping.
Industry Partner: Algonquin College
Presenters: Kinchit Patel, Mauricio Mendoza, Damian Easton, Akshat Verma
Professor: Wael Ismaeil
