Capstone projects: Faculty of Science
Partner: Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) & Livestock Research Innovation Corporation (LRIC)
Description: Design and evaluate innovative livestock flooring solutions that improve animal safety and welfare by reducing hoof impact forces and the risk of slipping in dairy farm environments.
Partner: Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) & Livestock Research Innovation Corporation (LRIC)
Description: Develop and evaluate an automated system for accurately measuring and aseptically sampling milk during farm collection to improve efficiency, data quality, and sustainability across a wide range of operating conditions.
Partner: Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) & Livestock Research Innovation Corporation (LRIC)
Description: Develop a fast, accurate, and cost-effective device that instantly measures moisture content in livestock feed to support forage management, animal nutrition, and farm efficiency.
Partner: EcoWeaver
Description: Develop a pipeline that extracts and evaluates structured causal relationships from restoration ecology research using the CAMO schema to capture intervention outcomes, mechanisms, and confidence levels.
Partner: EcoWeaver
Description: Develop a traceable question-answering system that uses a structured ecological knowledge graph to provide evidence-based answers with source attribution, confidence levels, and transparent handling of uncertainty.
Partner: Engage Foundation
Description: Develop a plan to transform car-dependent GTA suburbs into walkable 15-minute communities by balancing increased density with infrastructure capacity and economic feasibility.
Partner: Electrical Safety Authority
Description: Optimize a fleet-wide tire strategy by evaluating the cost, safety, environmental, and operational trade-offs of seasonal, winter, and hybrid tire options across Ontario’s diverse driving conditions.
Partner: First Pass Research AI
Description: Design an AI-assisted manuscript screening system that evaluates text and visual content, provides evidence-linked editorial feedback, and improves the accuracy, transparency, security, and reliability of research integrity assessments.
Partner: City of Iqaluit
Description: Move the City Finance department into a new suite of systems and processes that take advantage of the latest technology and best practices.
Partner: Livestock Research Innovation Corporation (LRIC)
Description: Develop and test a remote thermal imaging system that monitors cattle at the pen level and identifies useful insights about animal health, behaviour and herd management.
Partner: Livestock Research Innovation Corporation (LRIC)
Description: Develop and test a remote thermal imaging system that monitors cattle at the pen level and identifies useful insights about animal health, behaviour and herd management.
Partner: Mirie Inc
Description: Deploying conversational AI in child-facing applications sits at the intersection of three under-researched problems in ML systems design.
Partner: Nourvo
Description: Investigate the impact of TSP particle size, rehydration protocols, inclusion rates, and freeze-thaw stability on texture and sensory attributes using TPA analysis and trained sensory panel evaluation.
Partner: Nourvo
Description: Assess the ability of hydrocolloid ingredients to improve moisture retention, texture, and sensory quality in high-protein frozen dim sum after freeze-thaw storage.
Partner: Nourvo
Description: Investigate the feasibility of incorporating natural aphrodisiac-associated functional ingredients into high-protein frozen dim sum while maintaining taste, texture, nutritional quality, freeze-thaw stability, and regulatory compliance.
Partner: Royal Bank of Canada (RBC)
Description: Build and test a GPU-accelerated platform that uses idle computing power from employee devices to support scalable, cost-efficient AI model deployment.
Partner: Royal Bank of Canada (RBC)
Description: Develop and test an AI security framework that evaluates how well large language model guardrails protect against prompt injection and other real-world threats.
- REAL-15: Are Canadian Communities Ready for an Aging Population? The 15-Minute Community for Seniors
Partner: REALPAC
Description: Assess how well Canadian communities support aging in place by evaluating seniors' access to housing, health care, transit, and other essential services within a 15-minute community framework.
Partner: REALPAC
Description: Explore how private-market approaches to affordable housing, such as rent vouchers and tax incentives, could be adapted to Canada to improve housing affordability and better support low- and moderate-income renters.
Partner: REALPAC
Description: Explore how public participation influences development decisions and identify effective strategies for balancing community concerns with broader housing, infrastructure, and urban planning needs.
Partner: REALPAC
Description: Investigate opportunities to develop and promote long-distance walking routes in Canada by assessing infrastructure, tourism potential, and best practices from successful international hiking and pilgrimage trails.
Partner: REALPAC
Description: Examine the trade-offs between low-density housing development and urban densification to identify planning approaches that balance housing affordability, consumer preferences, and sustainable community growth.
Partner: SEQUEN
Description: Build a working prototype that fills one of SEQUEN’s four engineering gaps and delivers a validated method ready for integration into the company’s V1.5 launch.
Partner: Tree Trust
Description: Investigate trends in mature urban forest health and canopy change by analyzing municipal and environmental data to support evidence-based strategies for mature tree preservation and care.
Partner: Tree Trust
Description: Develop a data-driven canopy equity tool that identifies priority areas for tree planting, mature tree care, and canopy investment to support equitable urban forest planning and community impact.
Partner: Tree Trust
Description: Develop a tree inventory and asset management system that improves the tracking, valuation, and long-term care of mature trees to support operations, reporting, and evidence-based decision-making.
Partner: The Working Centre
Description: Develop a circular economy strategy that identifies innovative ways to reuse, refurbish, recycle, or regenerate surplus materials and products to reduce waste and create sustainable business opportunities.
Partner: Waterloo Regional Health Network
Description: Develop a hands‑free, articulated ICE catheter holder that stabilizes imaging, reduces operator strain, and meets EP‑lab safety and compatibility requirements for real clinical use.
Partner: Waterloo Regional Health Network
Description: Explore how to design a practical, health-system-appropriate intake and governance model that enables disciplined decision-making while supporting timely innovation.
Partner: Waterloo Regional Health Network
Description: Develop a structured due diligence and evaluation framework to support evidence-based decision-making for AI adoption.
Partner: Waterloo Regional Health Network
Description: Create an initial structured view of AI-related activity and broader solution landscape to support governance and strategic planning.
Partner: Waterloo Regional Police Service
Description: Develop a framework for a 24hr/day mental health-focused response that is independent of other emergency service providers but is effectively integrated into the overall response continuum.
Partner: WSP
Description: Develop and test a framework for evaluating sensory comfort in parks and public spaces to support more inclusive, accessible, and welcoming community environments.
Partner: York Region District School Board
Description: Create equipment that will protect staff from a strike to the face, that is comfortable to wear for a full day, does not present additional safety challenges and is also aesthetically appropriate for a school environment.