Projects in Biomedical Engineering

Comparing the accuracy of bone density measurements obtained from a dual energy chest radiograph to a state-of-the-art DEXA scan

DEXA is the established gold standard when it comes to bone density measurements. However, it is a test that requires specialized equipment and is prescribed for a very targeted population e.g. seniors. In contrast, X-ray imaging is a commonly prescribed imaging test in outpatient clinics and emergency departments across Canada. This project will investigate the difference in error between a bone density measurement extrapolated from a dual energy X-ray image and compare it to the measurement obtained from a Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) scan.

Supervisor: Prof. Karim S. Karim
Email: kkarim@uwaterloo.ca

Development of high performance nanomaterial-based energy harvesting devices for self-powered applications

The objective of this project is to develop high performance energy harvesting devices based on novel nanomaterials, which can convert mechanical energy to electrical energy, for self-powered electronic and sensing applications. Working with a group of experienced postdoctoral fellow and graduate students, the student will be trained on nanomaterial synthesis, nanomaterial characterization, device microfabrication and characterization, data analysis and technical writing.

Required knowledge & skills: hands-on capability

Supervisor: Prof. Dayan Ban
Email: dban@uwaterloo.ca

Hardware Architecture for Machine Learning Algorithms Based on Stochastic Computing

In this project, you will implement an RTL hardware architecture for a convolutional neural network (CNN) based on stochastic computing, which offers compact arithmetic node implementation, to be applied to problems in medical imaging. The target will be a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) platform.

Supervisor: Prof. Vincent Gaudet
Email: vcgaudet@uwaterloo.ca

Performance Comparison of Rule and Integrity Checkers

Modern safety-critical systems require runtime monitoring to ensure integrity and safety. At the same time, these systems remain energy efficient to support small device size and operate without fans. The goal of this project is to evaluate runtime monitoring frameworks and perform a gap analysis which can then lead to subsequent research.

You will learn about: runtime verification, stream processing, embedded software, safety-critical systems, data analysis, performance evaluation

Supervisor: Prof. Sebastian Fischmeister
Email: sebastian.fischmeister@uwaterloo.ca

Root-Cause Analysis for Safety and Security Incidents

Security and safety are paramount for modern systems like autonomous vehicles, airplanes, and medical devices. The challenge is to reason about incidents in such systems. The goal of the project is to review open-source reasoning frameworks and build a prototype for incident response for embedded systems.