URA supervisor list and USRA placement list

Title: The Long-Term Costs of Rapid Construction of Multi-Unit Residential in Waterloo Region 

Description: The Waterloo Region (WR) has been experiencing an explosion in the construction of high-rise condominiums, raising fundamental questions about their environmental and social effects, including critical considerations for lifecycle assessment such as energy performance and embodied carbon, and for core community housing needs of suitability for family size and ability, adequate repair, and affordability. This research undertakes a longitudinal study of high-rise buildings in the region built in different eras of housing. It is part of a larger national SSHRC funded partnership grant led by the University of Montreal that involves 14 different universities and numerous citizen, government and professional partners. 

Title: The Long-Term Costs of Rapid Construction of Multi-Unit Residential in Waterloo Region 

Description: The Waterloo Region (WR) has been experiencing an explosion in the construction of high-rise condominiums, raising fundamental questions about their environmental and social effects, including critical considerations for lifecycle assessment such as energy performance and embodied carbon, and for core community housing needs of suitability for family size and ability, adequate repair, and affordability. This research undertakes a longitudinal study of high-rise buildings in the region built in different eras of housing. It is part of a larger national SSHRC funded partnership grant led by the University of Montreal that involves 14 different universities and numerous citizen, government and professional partners. 

Title: Architects Against Housing Alienation

Description: Architects Against Housing Alienation is a research creation project that is coordinated by a group of faculty members at the Universities of Waterloo and British Columbia and includes practicing architects, housing advocates and housing activists. The project focuses on the problem of the hyper-commodification of housing as a central cause of housing unaffordability. It seeks to find ways to promote de-commodified housing solutions. We are looking for an undergraduate student with an interest in housing affordability and current housing policy and skills in social media.

Title: Amphibious Housing for Flood Mitigation in Canada                              
Description: The use of amphibious foundations is a climate change adaptation strategy that is gaining popularity around the world. This innovative technology provides a form of flood mitigation that has many advantages over the standard flood protection techniques in common use today. The URA position involves students in ongoing research projects to develop amphibious construction prototypes for specific sites in various locations in Canada. Projects may focus on flood mitigation for First Nations populations vulnerable to repetitive seasonal flooding, the retrofit of heritage properties for flood resilience that minimizes changes to appearance, or individual clients seeking a new approach to flood damage prevention.

Descriptions:

• Computational Studies of Liquid Crystal Dynamics for Optics Applications
• Computational Pattern Identification and Classification Techniques for Surface Self-Assembly

Title: Computational analysis of volumetric images of porous materials

Description: Volumetric images, or 3D images, can be obtained from a variety of methods such as x-ray and neutron tomography, NMR imaging, and focused ion-beam milling combined with electron microscopy. With the relentless increase in computation power it has become feasible to determine structural and transport properties of materials directly from such images, bypassing the need to perform time consuming and costly experiments. This approach is being applied to 3D printed parts, battery electrodes, and virus filtration membranes, to name few. My lab specializes in the development of novel computational algorithms for the analysis of 3D images, and we  are the lead developers of the open-source software packages OpenPNM and PoreSpy (both available on Github). Our work leverages the latest developments in artificial intelligence, high performance paralleized computing, and computer vision, to create new tools for materials researchers. Interested applicants should be proficient with Python and interested in a career in data science, big data, computational analyst.

Descriptions:

• Applications of renewable nanomaterials in water treatment
• Development of rapid drying coating systems

Title: Additive manufacturing of porous electrodes for redox flow batteries

Description: We are looking for a motivated student to join our research group on the manufacturing of porous materials for electrochemical devices using additive manufacturing. The candidate will design porous electrodes using computer-aided design software and will develop new resin formulations that both meet the specific requirements for redox flow battery electrodes. The student will manufacture these structures using Digital Light Processing 3D printing, followed by thermal treatment steps to obtain conductive carbon electrodes. Finally, the candidate will evaluate the performance of the 3D printed electrodes in redox flow batteries. 

Title : Development of biorefinery technologies for microalgae

Description: Microalgae are a promising feedstock for the production of sustainable chemicals to replace current petrochemical based products. We are undertaking a number of projects exploring the use of microalgae for applications in materials, as chemical feedstocks, for therapeutic protein production, and for high value terpenoid production. We explore both the upstream process development and strain engineering as well as the downstream recovery and purification of products. Please contact for more info.

Descriptions:

• Investigating the impacts of climate change on drinking water treatability.
• Understanding Pathogen Transport and Survival in the Subsurface

CPH 3611B 

Title: Multi-hazard resilience of structures.

Description: Analysis of coastal structures under sequential earthquake-tsunami loading.

Title: Multi-hazard resilience of tall wood structures

Description: Tall and high-profile wood structures may be at risk for damage due to earthquakes, fire, deliberate attacks, accidental explosions, or a combination of such events which could lead to a progressive collapse. This project is to develop a research framework associated with the multi-hazard performance of tall wood structures and to identify critical parameters affecting the behaviour. Student will use the acquired knowledge to conduct a parametric analysis on a simple structure. A senior student that intends to pursue graduate studies in CEE is preferred.

Other information or restrictions: Held jointly with Dr. Eugene Kim (CPH 3662)

Title: Computer software for inelastic analysis of FRP reinforced wood beams

Description: This project looks at extending the capabilities of an existing software capable of predicting the load-deformation of unretrofitted and retrofitted glulam beams and columns for dynamic analysis. Amongst other tasks, the primary challenge is to develop and implement a sectional analysis for various retrofit configurations. A senior student who is capable of programming (e.g.Visual Studio, Python) and intends to pursue graduate studies in CEE is preferred.  

Title: Vibration-based Vulnerability Assessment of Civil Structures

Description: Though our buildings and bridges can often appear monolithic, they are susceptible to very real forces (weather, vehicle cycles, earthquakes, etc.) that deteriorate their performance over time. The focus of this project is to enhance our ability to characterize the current condition of our infrastructure, estimate its future behaviors with respect to potential hazards it may experience, and develop efficient strategies to improve that performance. Students will have the opportunity to perform structural dynamics experiments and use tools from data science (Bayesian inference, machine learning, etc.) to build our capacity to understand our infrastructure. All applicants are welcome, but 3^rd and 4^th year students with an interest in exploring graduate studies in CEE will be given preference.

Title: Health Impacts of Climate Change and Climate Policy.

Brief Description: Student will assist in the analysis for an ongoing study of the health impacts of climate change and climate policy. Student will quantify the costs and health benefits of policy, examining questions that are highly relevant to current policy questions in North America. Students of all backgrounds that are interested in this area are welcome. An  introductory level of statistics is preferred. The student will be building on existing Python scripts, so Python experience is highly preferred.

Title: Virtual/Augmented Reality Applications in Structures Assessment

Description: I am looking for a senior student who is interested in working on a research project next term, which can also lead to opportunities in graduate studies in the topic of smart structure technology with our research group (cviss.net). The project will revolve around cutting-edge smart structure topics, particularly in virtual reality applications (VR, AR, & MR), computer vision, and machine learning. The goal is to devise high-impact, practical virtual reality (VR) applications for structure maintenance and asset management to enable engineers with VR devices to make the best decisions built on the availability of various information from a real-world, digital model or AI-enabled data analytics. It is preferred that students have taken courses related to computer vision or machine learning and have programming backgrounds such as languages (e.g., Python, C++/C#), web service (e.g., AWS, Azure), and software (e.g., Unity, 3D modeling software). If you are interested in the research project, please contact me by email: cmyeum@uwaterloo.ca. Find more information on my lab website: https://cviss.net

Title: Coupled thermal, hydraulic, mechanical, and chemical processes

Description: Please reach out for more information.

Title: Fault-Blocking Converter Modeling

Description: Fault-blocking converters are a new type of AC-DC converters that can be used to block the DC fault current and at the same time provide reactive power support to the AC power system. The objective of this project is to develop the model of a specific fault-blocking converter in teh PSCAD software.

Title: Modeling of HVDC Grids

Description: Modeling of HVDC Grids

Title: Nonlinear optics with hollow-core photonic crystal fibers

Description: This project studies the possibilities for light-matter interaction enhancement through the confinement provided by a hollow-core photonic-crystal fiber and through novel quantum optics techniques. This project will further explore possible practical applications of this platform, such as: all-optical switching or bio-sensing.

Description:

• Quantum/Nano Semiconductor Devices.
• Energy harvesting devices
• Artificial intelligence/machine learning

Description: Hardware/Software Design of Wireless Radio Systems.

Other Information: Suitable for 3A to 4B term students.

Title: Developing social robots for education and therapy for children.       
Description: Development of programs for social robots used in the Social and Intelligent Robotics Research Lab (SIRRL). The goal is to teach, motivate and engage children using social robots as a tool in the hands of teachers/therapists/instructors/parents. This work will address the development of social robots that can aid students with or without special needs to boost their social, emotional, academic and cognitive skills.  

Title:  Robots to support healthy living and healthy aging.

Description: Contribute to the development of programs for social robots to assist healthy aging and healthy living for older adults. This work will contribute to research projects in the Social and Intelligent Robotics Research Lab (SIRRL). Applications of this technology are to support older adults in long-term care and assistive living and home environments. 
 

Title: Social robots to support mental health and wellbeing.

Description: Developing programs for social robots to assist in mental health and wellbeing. This work will contribute to research projects in the Social and Intelligent Robotics Research Lab (SIRRL). Applications of this technology are to support children, adolescents and adults, including university students, to improve their wellbeing and mental health through exercises, e.g. addressing anxiety during public speaking or supporting mindfulness and relaxation exercises mediated by social robots.
 

Description: Developing correct software is difficult and many programming errors are discovered by end users, which causes embarrassment, monetary damage, and -in the extreme- harm to people.

My research focuses on practical approaches to prevent more programming mistakes during development. Optional type systems improve the static guarantees of a programming language like Java, and are a light-weight approach to improve correctness.

In your URA, you'll learn about high-quality software development and work on a research project, e.g., by performing a case study, improving an existing tool, or prototyping a new tool. Research on improving code quality and programmer productivity will also benefit your own programming skills.

You can contact me via email (wdietl@uwaterloo.ca). Also, feel free to take a look at my homepage.

Description: Improving experimentation in Computer Science and Computer Engineering.

You'll learn about:

• Operating Systems
• Compilers
• A little bit of statistics

Title: Automated Software Verification and Program Analysis

Description:  Our group is working on scalable automated verification that is usable by software engineers and is integrated into the software development life-cycle. Verification ensures that software satisfies given properties for all possible inputs, and be used to prove absence of bugs. You will be able to use your programming skills and contribute to the development of the automated verification tool SeaHorn and will learn about Compilers, Constraint Solvers (SAT, SMT), and Automated Verification.

Depending on your interests and experience, you will be able to work on various parts of the framework, and focus on Logic-based Reasoning, Compiler Optimizations, Program Analysis, Pointer Analysis, Testing Infrastructure, Smart Contracts, or C++ Standard Library implementations. The project uses technologies like C++, Python, LLVM, Z3, Docker, Travis.

Title: Hardware architectures for machine learning

Description: This project explores machine learning accelerators based on field-programmable gate array devices, and will involve a combination of software simulation and design of hardware architectures at the register transfer level.

Title: In- Memory Data Structures for Next Generation Multi-Core Machines

Description: To harness the power of parallel architectures, software designers must synchronize threads that concurrently access shared resources, such as in-memory data structures. The project will focus on synchronization in multi-core computers, which provide multiple processing elements or cores attached to a pool of shared memory. Growing core counts and disruptive innovations, such as transactional and persistent main memories, continue to drive research in this area. The specific goal of this project will be to design, prototype, and evaluate novel synchronization algorithms suitable for real world applications, such as in-memory data management and analytics systems.

Title: Automated Software Verification

Brief Description: Modern software systems are incredibly complex engineered artifacts. They rely on intricate algorithms, developed by large, often distributed, teams, and are build out of many interconnected components. Software bugs are common even in such safety-critical industries as medical devices, automotive, and avionics. Yet, we are increasingly becoming dependent on reliable operation of such systems. Furthermore, the impact of software bugs on safety and security is increasing as the border between safety- and non-safety-critical systems is eroded.

Dealing with this complexity requires automation in verification and certification. While the last few decades have seen tremendous progress towards this goal, effective automated verification remains a grand challenge. The long term objective the project is to develop scalable automated verification that is usable by software engineers and is integrated into the software development life-cycle.

You will contribute to the development of the automated verification tool SeaHorn and will learn about Compilers, Constraint Solvers (SAT/SMT), and Automated Verification.

Title: Embedded Machine Learning with FPGAs

Description: Student will develop VHDL/Verilog or OpenCL descriptions of neural networks suitable for embedded implementation. Applications include computational support for robotics, embedded vision, drones

Title: Quantum Nanoelectronics and Nanophotonics

Description: Assist senior group members in various aspects by developing experimental tools, building analog/digital circuits, programming automation codes, and constructing a spectrometer and a laser depending on capability.

Title: Systems and Control

Title: Development of feedback controllers

Description: Development of feedback controllers for a rotational double pendulum.

Title: Autonomous Robot Software Development

Description: This project involves developing software to deploy and test algorithms for perception, decision-making, and motion planning in autonomous mobile robots, specifically real-world 1/10th-scale ground robots and quad-rotor aerial robots. Examples of tasks include localization, object detection, motion planning, control, mapping, and developing physics-based simulators. The project requires familiarity with C++/Python and ROS2; bonus points for experience with Docker, Tensorflow/PyTorch, and the MuJoCo (or similar) physics simulator.

Title: Developing new platforms for bio-sensing applications

Description: In Poudineh Lab, we develop bio-sensing approaches for therapeutics and diagnostics purposes and translating biomedical devices to the clinic.

Currently, the focus is on two main projects:

1. Wearable sensors for in vivo molecular tracking: Developing wearable sensors similar to the continuous glucose monitoring patches that can measure biomarkers beyond glucose
2. Beter diabetes management: Developing a platform for measuring insulin and glucagon-two important hormones for adjusting glucose level in blood

Title: Inverse design of metasurfaces for hyperspectral imaging applications

Descriptions: Hyperspectral imaging is an imaging modality where spectral information is recorded for every pixel in an image. Typically this requires expensive camera systems, combining complex optics, to either raster scan a spectrometer input over a image or, in single-shot operation send light to many spectrometers simultaneously.

In this project we propose to implement a low-cost single shot hyperspectral imaging system, by combining a colour selective transmission metasurfaces with a standard CCD camera. Metasurfaces are flat optical elements, where the structure rather than constituent material dominates the optical response. Therefore, we aim to develop a number of compact metasurfaces pixels, with varying transmission spectra, to cover the visible spectral region. The design of these pixels can be aided by machine learning approaches, such as inverse design, e.g. using the open-source Spins-B package.

This will begin as a computation only project, but can subsequently involve the optical characterisation fabricated devices designed by the RA.

Interested candidates are encouraged to contact me for more details.

Title: Machine learning based optical speckle analysis for spectrometry applications

Description: Light that propagates through a disordered medium will form what is known as a Speckle pattern, a seemingly random distribution of bright and dark regions, from the interference of many different possible light paths through the medium. Yet this speckle pattern is only seemingly random, in fact is is deterministically formed and depends on the incident light, as well as the disordered medium though which the light propagates. Therefore if one of these two is known, a Speckle pattern can be used to infer information about the other. E.g. one application is to measure minute deviations in a laser wavelength by observing variations of a Speckle pattern.

Another potential application, the one of interest to this project is that the speckle pattern can be used to identify the spectrum of the optical input. During this project the speckle will be generated via a disordered integrated spectrometer developed in my group and is detected using an infrared camera. The aim of this project is to investigate machine learning based speckle analysis options, to improve the device resolution and accuracy.

This is a computation only project at this stage and interested candidates are encouraged to contact me for details. This project can continue over multiple terms.

Descriptions:

• Wearable Wireless Systems
• Energy Harvesting Systems
• mm-Wave Electromagnetics
• 5G for IoT
• Radar Sensor Systems
• Drone Connectivity

Description: Opto-Electronic Characterization of Silicon Devices

Descriptions:

• STARMX: An Autonomic Computing Framework
• Implementing Log & Trace Analyzer for Middleware & DB
• Implementing Enterprise Services for ISLEE

Descriptions:

• Automated program repair: we will develop new approaches to automatically learn fix patterns from existing bug patches, and generate new patches automatically. Good programming skills and strong motivation in research are required. Background in compilers is a plus.
• Document assisted testing and program synthesis: analysing software documents to improve software testing and automated program generation. Good programming skills and strong motivation in research required. Background in machine learning and natural language processing is a plus. 
• Building a next generation version control system that understands programming languages.

Other Information: Other projects in software testing, text analytics, and addressing security bugs are available.

Descriptions:

• 3-D Binaural recording
• Haptics (computer generated sense of touch)

Title : Image and video processing: perceptual and deep learning approaches

Description: Image and video processing, compression, streaming using perceptually motivated and deep learning approaches. Possibly involve algorithm and software development, data processing and analysis, and perceptual experiment.

Title: Cryogenic CMOS for quantum computing

Description: This project is for 3rd/4th year students only. In this project, the students are encouraged to explore the CMOS device and circuit at cryogenic temperatures aiming for control and operation of silicon quantum bits for quantum computing, including

1. Cryogenic CMOS device characterization and modeling
2. Cryogenic CMOS circuit design for quantum computing

Title: Wide-bandgap semiconductor device compact modeling

Description: This project is for 3^rd/4^th year students with proper device and circuit background only. The students are expected to have taken some of the related courses, including ECE331/463/444. In this project, students will explore transistor physics, compact modeling in Verilog-A, and parameter extraction for wide-bandgap based semiconductor devices (such as Gallium nitride, Silicon-carbide). The students will have the opportunities to work on industry-standard compact model, mainstream EDA/TCAD software.

Title: NEMO Software Implementation Analysis

Description: Investigation and development of software to monitor the use of microfabrication tools in the Giga-to-Nanoelectronics facility on campus. The software development will be used to determine machine operation time and intervals between repair cycles along with operating costs to help improve the overall function of the facility.

Title: Facility Location in Supply Chain and Logistics Networks

Description: Development of optimization models to address facility location problems faced in supply chain and logistics networks.

Title: Developing Collaboration Technology for a Flexible Future of Work

Description: Post COVID-19, workplaces are experimenting with new workplace configurations, including varying hybrid schedules, alternating between asynchronous and synchronous work time, and more flexible working hours (e.g., 4-day work weeks). These changes challenge our traditional collaboration patterns and collaboration platform (e.g., Zoom, Microsoft Teams) use. This project aims to study collaboration in these emerging workplace configurations, identify which collaboration constructs are affected, and design more effective collaboration technology to support these new forms of working. This project will involve observing collaboration through in-person/online observations, interviews, surveys, and digital trace data collection; using qualitative, quantitative, and natural language processing methods to analzye collaboration patterns; using software engineering and user experience fundamentals to design new collaborative technology; and using user testing methods and controlled experiments to evaluate the technology. Students will need experience in either software engineering, natural language processing and analytics, or human subject studies. This work will contribute to publications in HCI venues such as CHI and CSCW.

Title: Revisiting gradient descent

Description: We study the gradient descent method for solving convex optimization problems. We try to improve its well-known convergence rate and show its optimality by establishing lower bounds. Potential candidates will have a solid mathematical optimization background.

Title: Optimization of radiation therapy treatment planning for cancer

Description: Radiation therapy is one of the main methods for treating cancer. High energy beams are used to eradicate cancer cells while trying to spare the surrounding healthy organs. The treatment planning process can be viewed as a large-scale optimization approach. We use mathematical programming techniques to formulate different types of cancer treatment planning problems using real patient data. Different projects are defined based on specific cancer sites, different delivery machine specifications, and various clinical requirements defined for personalized treatments.

Descriptions:

• Analysis of Energy Consumption & Environmental Indicators
• Energy Policy in the Context of Environmental Sustainability 

Title: Optimization model in energy market

Description: The aim of this project is providing clean, affordable and reliable energy for consumers, from busy urban areas to remote northern communities. The student needs to look at technologies such as renewables, storage capacities, and more modern initiatives (electric vehicles and smart

appliances) and use optimization techniques to prescribe the best policies to achieve environmental targets and cost reduction incentives. The projects involves a high degree of data analytics.

Title: Semantic Segmentation in Computer Vision Applications under distribution shifts (use of foundation models)

Title: LLM/VLM training and safety alignment

Title: Haptic Prototyping and Analysis

Description: Haptic technology engages people through the sense touch in diverse ways, such as force feedback, mid-air vibrations, or programmable friction. This project involves hands-on research developing new haptic interactions and studying the implications of haptic technology in applications like VR gaming, education, and therapy. Students will do hardware prototyping (Arduino, sensors, motors), software prototyping (Javascript/NodeJS, Unity), analysis (R, Matlab, study design), or some combination thereof. This work will contribute to research projects that will be published at top Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and haptics venues.

Title: Deep learning models for text generation                                              
Description: The Natural Language Processing (NLP) Lab conducts research in natural language generation, text style transfer, natural language understanding, audio/music representation learning and generation of text for artistic applications, including lyrics and poetry. The URA will participate in one of the ongoing research projects. The responsibilities include designing, implementing and evaluating neural networks for text generation.

Extensive experience with Python and deep learning libraries, such as PyTorch or TensorFlow, is required. Previous experience working on natural language processing and/or computational audio projects is a bonus.

Title: 3D graphics web development

Description: The Natural Language Processing (NLP) Lab conducts research in natural language generation and artistic/creative applications of NLP and AI. This project is aimed at creating a multimedia art installation backed by real-time AI system. It involves the development of an interactive web application using Three.js, React.js and WebGL. This role requires experience creating 3D graphics and animation using Three.js, as well as writing custom vertex and fragment shaders using WebGL or OpenGL Shading Language. The successful candidate will be expected to work off the existing codebase written in Three.js and React.

Title: Development of web-based application for a deep learning NLP project.

Description: The Natural Language Processing (NLP) Lab conducts research in natural language generation, text style transfer, natural language understanding and multi-modal representation learning. This role is part of a project building an interactive real-time web application for a deep learning project. The URA will be expected to build a fully functional real-time web application.

Extensive experience developing web applications using React.js is required.

Title: Modeling of Human Neuromechanics and Sensorimotor Deficits

Description: Use machine learning, signal processing, and system identification techniques. Analyze human movement data and physiological data. Build models and statistical analysis.

Title: Fracture Characterization of Advanced High Strength Materials for Vehicle Crash Applications-

Description: This project focuses on the experimental and numerical characterization of the mechanical properties and fracture mechanisms of advanced high strength automotive alloys including ultra high strength boron steel and high strength "military-grade" aluminum. These mechanical properties are used to develop sophisticated numerical fracture models to design the forming operations of automotive structural components and predict their behaviour in vehicle crash simulations.

The research can be tailored to the student's interest with a focus on the design of test fixtures, experimental characterization or numerical modelling of industrial forming operations to predict fracture.

This research project provides a unique opportunity to work directly with our industrial partners in the automotive industry. A PhD candidate will assist the student with supervision and training of the numerical modelling and lab experiments.

Title: Mechanical characterization and simulation of solid-state batteries

Description: Solid-state batteries (SSBs) are a promising next-generation energy storage technology, offering improved safety, higher energy density, and faster charging compared with conventional lithium-ion batteries. However, SSBs face significant mechanical challenges during electrochemical cycling, including fracture, fatigue, and local delamination. These issues remain a critical obstacle for the commercialization of SSBs.

Prof Cui’s group has multiple projects for URA and USRA students working on SSB architecture design, nanomechanical characterization, as well as finite element simulation of mechanical behavior of SSBs. Students will gain a strong foundation in battery technology while developing expertise in nanomechanical characterization and simulations. The skills acquired through this project will greatly prepare students for careers in both academia and industry. If you are interested, please reach out the Prof. Cui (teng.cui@uwaterloo.ca).

Title:  Spatial atomic layer deposition and related devices 

Description: Spatial atomic layer deposition is an emerging technique for the rapid, open-air deposition of nanoscale electronic materials. We have ongoing projects related to the development of spatial atomic layer deposition manufacturing, printing and characterization of thin films, and integration of the thin films into devices, including gas sensors and perovskite photovoltaics. A project may involve mechatronic design, thin film characterization, and other nano/micro fabrication techniques.

Title: Combining Sensor Tech for Enhanced Wildfire Smoke Detection

Description: In hot, dry areas with wildfires, PM2.5 (the mass of particulate matter <2.5 μm in diameter) often exceeds 200 μg/m3, deemed "hazardous" by air quality guidelines. Wildfire smoke disproportionately affects vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, as well as communities in certain geographic locations.

This project aims to combine multiple low-cost particle sensors and design them for deployment on drones for early wildfire smoke detection and actionable, local air quality data.

You can contact me via email (robert.nishida@uwaterloo.ca). Also, feel free to take a look at my research interests

Title: Curiosity-driven micro/bio-fluid physics in daily lives

Description: We are a curious group that invites students investigating interesting problems around us by learning from nature through mathematics/fluid physics lens. We look for high impact works based on creative ideas. A few examples of our projects include:

• How can men’s pants and restrooms stay away from splashing back body fluids? Half of the population on the earth have been suffering from this issue since urinals were invented over 100 years ago. We will solve the problem by learning from dessert moss, nautilus shells, and puppies.
• How to design a fiber network that holds and manipulates liquids for future smart agriculture? We will start with learning from raindrops on pine tree needles and droplets on spider webs.
• How to improve helmet safety design? Remember the party trick that you can shatter a beer bottle by striking the top of it with your bare hands?

High-speed photography of this trick will inspire us.

Description: 

• Piezoelectric energy harvesting to harvest electricity from mechanical vibrations
• Cable harnessed dynamics and vibrations modeling of periodic structures. 

Title: Fire Safety Engineering

Description: Interested in fluids, thermal and materials performance. There are a variety of projects available related to ongoing projects through the UW Fire Research Labs.

Other Information or Restrictions: Of benefit to have transportation as some testing is normally done at the labs which are off campus near the Erb St Landfill site.

Description: Low-cost large scale energy storage is required due to the increasing variable renewables in the grid. In this topic, we will analyze the benefits of combining multiple energy storage technologies into one system. Models will be built to optimize the ideal combination for energy storage to improve the sustainability. Energy storage will also be combined with other commodity production to make the system more flexible and efficient.  

E3

2110B

Title: Strained Engineered Artificial Leaf for CO2 conversions to fuels

Description: Photocatalytic CO2 conversion systems, also addressed as artificial leaves, can convert CO2 into useful fuels with solar energy. We have ongoing projects related to the development of photocatalytic reaction systems that utilize strain engineering to enhance the conversion performance. These projects involve reactor design and optimization, performance evaluation, and patent/paper preparation.

Title: Photocatalytic Reactor for Converting Plastic Waste into Value-Added Chemicals

Description: Photocatalytic plastic conversion is considered one of the most promising recycling strategies due to its sustainability and environmental friendliness. We will work on developing better photocatalytic reaction systems to improve the use of light and enhance the conversion performance. These projects involve reactor design and optimization, performance evaluation.

Title: Combustion and Explosion Safety in Reactive Flows

Description: Our group investigates the fundamental combustion characteristics of reactive compressible fluids, with a focus on applications in explosion safety and energy efficiency. We combine experimental, numerical, and analytical methods to study flame/detonation behaviour, flame acceleration, pressure wave-flame interactions, and flame/detonation quenching in various scenarios.

This project offers a hands-on opportunity to contribute to the establishment of a new laboratory and engage in research addressing real-world explosion safety challenges. Depending on your interests and background, you can get involved in areas such as:

•     Design and Prototyping using computer-aided design software (e.g., SolidWorks),

•     Machining and Fabrication of custom components,

•     Experimental Setup and Testing, including laboratory-scale experiments with high-speed visualisation techniques,

•     Computational Research, including numerical simulations using our in-house tools and data analysis with Python/MATLAB/Mathematica/Maple.

Students will receive direct mentorship and guidance throughout the project. Whether you're looking to apply your current skills or are excited to explore new areas, I’d be happy to discuss how you can get involved.

Please feel free to email me (hongxia.yang@uwaterloo.ca) or stop by my office for more information.

Title: Fluid Mechanics Research Laboratory

Description: We have a very active, internationally recognized research group specializing in engineering applications of fluid mechanics and aerodynamics. We are always open to providing research opportunities to motivated students in the areas related to our ongoing projects.

Systems Design Engineering

32604

Title: Applied Computer Vision

Description: Machine learning, AI, deep learning applied to computer vision in the realm of satellite remote sensing and sports analytics.

Funded by: Research Account

Title:  Emotionally intelligent agents for supporting older adults

Description:   Apply different methodologies for developing emotionally intelligent agents, and implement and test them on a variety of user interfaces including mobile-based applications and social robots. 

Title:  Emotionally intelligent agents for supporting children

Title:  Smart home environments equipped with social robots for health monitoring

Description:   Integration of social robots with a variety of different health sensors for remote health/wellbeing monitoring. Managing data gathered from multiple sources and data visualization. The goal of this project is to provide in-home health/wellbeing support.

Title: Integrative Molecular Imaging for Cell-to-Clinic Precision Medicine.

Description: We design and fabricate a novel medical imaging system that we call it photoacoustic remote sensing (PARS) microscopy. This is a fast, non-contact, non-invasive, safe and accurate technique that can measure oxygen saturation, oxygen metabolic activity and multilayered histology-like information. Oxygen saturation and oxygen metabolic activity play a vital role in understanding several diseases including early tumour and vision loss diagnosis and treatment. Additionally, when the oncologic care team must remove a tumour, it is essential that no malignant tissue left behind.  The ability to predict tumour aggressiveness, margin and metastatic potential could significantly affect clinical practice in oncology. It is also shown that abnormal retinal oxygen saturation and metabolic activity are the leading causes of vision loss (e.g. age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma). The ability to precisely detect aberrant retinal oxygen metabolic activity in a non-contact setting is essential for improving investigations and diagnoses of ocular diseases. In addition, for various applications is surgical oncology and orthology contact is impractical, or the working space and footprint is an issue (e.g. endoscopy and surgery). We will work on technical hardware and software development as well as several imaging applications.

Title :

Biomedical Stakeholder Cafe

Description:

This opportunity is available for the fall term only. The Biomedical Stakeholder Cafe is a relatively new event that brings capstone teams together with health care professionals and individuals with lived experience for two evenings of conversations. Tasks include logistical and emailing support for the event and survey data analysis post-event. 

Title: Computational Algebraic Intelligence

Description: Development and application of computer algebraic tools for the automatically creating coordinate systems in a science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM)application area in a finite discrete-event system models. Artificial algebraic intellitgence provides novel methods for AI systems to understand and hierarchichally manipulate (e.g. autonomously generating strategies for solving a permutation puzzle like Rubik's cube).

Other information or restrictions: Strong programming ability in a higher level language, and experience with scripting languages. Excellent English spoken and writing skills. Strong mathematical aptitude required, familiarity with discrete mathematics/graph theory/finite automata highly desirable as background. Level 3A/3B/4A/4B.

Title: Negative poisson ratio

Description: Study the properties of positive Poisson ratio of polymers utilizing 3D printing technology.

Other information or restrictions: Will utilize professional money to cover one student.

Title:  Shape Memory Polymer             
Description: Develop shape memory polymer utilizing 3D printing technology.

Other information or restrictions: Will utilize professional money to cover one student.

Title: Biomimetic Biomaterials-

Description: Student will assist in both computation and experimental work concerning the development of novel biomimetic biomaterials.

Title: Mechanical Testing of 3D printed nanocomposite biomaterials.

Description: RA will assist post doctoral fellow with experiments mainly involving 3D printing and mechanical testing.

Descriptions: Computer-aided disease analysis using medical imaging

Title: AI for Infrastructure, Transportation, Urbanism, and other Applications. 

Description: Most of our research work consists of using Artificial Intelligence methods (such as machine learning including deep learning) to solve complex problems in a variety of applications.  A lot of the problems involve computer vision and or robotics.   Examples of applications include infrastructure monitoring including roads, buildings; building 3D maps from cameras for autonomous vehicles; monitoring manufacturing process control to predict failures; object detection and recognition; 3D human body modelling for human fitting; Reinforcement Learning to learn how to move; human motion modelling for sports analytics;... to name a few.  Currently there are over a dozen graduate students in the lab.  Ideally you will work with one of the graduate students as part of our team.  The projects vary depending on the partners we are currently teamed with.  Ideal candidates should have some exposure to machine learning, be proficient in programming with python, C++ and machine learning tools.