Reaction All Years

Our project originated from the Plant Operations team at Algonquin College. Operators are responsible for the supervision and maintenance of heavy equipment that provide heating, cooling, water, and power to the College. This critical infrastructure is carefully monitored by operators through consistent daily inspections. During these inspections, plant operators track hundreds of data points across dozens of pieces of equipment sprawled across the campus.

Currently, plant operators use either paper and pencil or lug around a heavy laptop to log the results of these routine inspections. In addition to the mandatory daily checks of physical equipment, Plant Operators have many other responsibilities including the completion of maintenance requests and fire safety checks, as well as managing contractors.

By conducting user research, our team identified that the traditional logging process offered several areas of improvement that would help boost operators productivity on-the-job. The team decided that developing a mobile software solution would help plant operators become more efficient and eliminate the physical demands of carrying a laptop around heavy machinery and tight spaces. Through our research, the team also unearthed several important technical constraints, like the necessity for the application to function offline due to spotty Wi-Fi connections in certain areas of the College.

During our initial research our team quickly came to the realization that the work of plant operators is not easy to understand, so we decided it would be valuable for us to gain a deeper understanding of the logging process that we were aiming to improve. Donning hard hats, steel-toed boots and eye protection, several team members conducted an observation session by shadowing a plant operator completing their daily log. Over 10,000 steps later, across multiple buildings on campus, we emerged with a clearer understanding of the pain points the plant operations team faces on-the-job. Most notably, we discovered a large portion of the tracked data points are located on Human-Machine Interface (HMI) screens.

After analyzing our extensive user research results, we concluded the plant operators needed a solution that was mobile, offline-ready, and would run on their work-provided iPhones. As such, our team decided that the best solution for our client would be a native iOS application. Creating a native application enabled us to use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology from Apple to dramatically improve plant operators’ efficiency on-the-job. This image-to-text scanning technology allows operators to simply take a picture of an HMI screen to extract all of the relevant readings from that particular screen and populate the log.

Oper8 is a custom-tailored iOS application that reduces the time spent logging hundreds of data points during operators’ daily inspections. After completing their rounds, the plant operator can generate a spreadsheet to share with their supervisor. The application works seamlessly both offline and online, and safely saves log data so that anyone on the team can continue progress on the log where another operator left off.

As part of our Applied Project Management course, we were tasked with carrying out a charity event to raise money for the Legacy of Hope Foundation. The Legacy of Hope Foundation is a national and Indigenous-led charitable organization that is committed to promoting healing and reconciliation through education.

Our initial project plan was to host a pool tournament and a Capture the Ace raffle. For the Capture the Ace raffle, there were 52 envelopes, each with a playing card inside which is associated with a specific prize. We planned for guests to purchase raffle tickets to enter a draw where they would have the opportunity to select one of the 52 envelopes. However, due to anticipated risks that were identified in our project management plan, our project underwent a series of scope changes to meet the project timeline. The changes include converting to a casual pool event and changing our raffle to a standard raffle.

The goal was to raise $1,000 for the Legacy of Hope Foundation. Prior to our event we collected donations from friends and family and raffle prizes from various organizations. During our event we were able to secure more donations. We hosted our event at the Orange Monkey Bar & Billiards at 250 City Center Ave. Without their support and generous donation of their venue and pool tables, this event would not have been a success.

Our event was held on March 28, 2023 from 6pm-10pm. Many guests arrived on time and stayed for the entire duration of the event. The raffle winners were announced at 9pm in which 15 different prizes were distributed. Some examples of the prizes include a blender, movie tickets, and restaurant gift cards. The overall environment of the event was very intimate with all guests playing pool, mingling, and enjoying food and drinks served at the Orange Monkey. We believe that our event was a success because we were able to raise over $1,000 and we had a good turnout with many guests sharing their positive experience.

Following the event, our team entered the project closeout phase where we archived the project and submitted a lessons learned report. Additionally, all funds raised prior to and during the event were sent to the Legacy of Hope Foundation, totaling over $1200.

Our team, working under the guidance of the Public Health Agency of Canada, was tasked with understanding the public’s perception of sharing personal health information with public health agencies for the collective good. One of the challenges in the battle with COVID-19 was the misinterpretation of crucial public health information during a health crisis, which created panic and anxiety among people. PHAC shared with us how many Canadians use technologies to track their health on a daily basis, which could be valuable for future public healthcare initiatives and policy development.

To identify gaps of trust between people and public health organizations, we focused on wearable device users who regularly monitor their health to understand their motivations and perception towards sharing this information with public health agencies for the collective good. Our aim was to make people feel empowered and well-informed about their data decisions for public health.

We conducted literature reviews on the reliability of information collected on wearable devices, people’s motivation behind monitoring health, policies in place to safeguard privacy, and the measures taken around the globe. From this, we found that willingness to share personal health information depends on public involvement in the decision-making process and the importance of public trust when planning new technology offerings at a population scale.

Using a mixed-method approach, we designed our research using surveys and semi-structured interviews with participants and subject matter experts. We received 68 responses covering a range of demographics and conducted 16 moderated interviews to gain a deeper understanding of the participant responses. After organizing all of the qualitative and quantitative data, we developed insights and recommendations based on what we gathered.

We found that most people in Canada trust the privacy regulations in place and are willing to share their information with Public Health agencies as long as they are well-informed about the intent. Another important discovery was how many of them found the information presented on various public health information sources needed to be shorter, more complex and easier to understand.

Based on these findings, we developed two broad interventions that can help people feel involved and empowered about sharing their health information by making sure the public health information they access is quick, easy to understand, and accessible. Our solution involves emerging technologies like AI as an assistive tool that can help people summarize, explain, translate, and simplify complicated information or policies in Canada.

The critical function of this tool can be providing answers to various questions about Canada’s public health in a simple-to-understand language. This includes alerting people of nearby high-risk diseases so that they can stay well informed about disease prevention. Additionally, the tool can synthesize complex health-related documents for users by scanning, translating, or simplifying information like personal health records.

In conclusion, our project aimed to identify gaps of trust between people and public health organizations and to make people feel empowered and well-informed about their data decisions for public health. By providing access to quick and easy-to-understand public health information, we can help bridge the gap of trust between people and public health organizations, empowering people to make informed decisions about their health data and participate in public health initiatives that benefit the collective good.

The machine performs several functions, including:
Filling bottles with liquid products: The automatic bottle filler function ensures that the correct amount of liquid product is dispensed into each bottle, reducing the likelihood of overfilling or underfilling.
Rejecting defective bottles: The rejector function ensures that bottles that do not meet specific quality standards, such as those with chips, cracks, or incorrect fill levels, are removed from the production line and do not make it to the end consumer.
Improving efficiency: An automatic bottle filler and rejector can handle a high volume of bottles per minute, reducing the need for manual labor and increasing production efficiency.
Reducing waste: By accurately dispensing the correct amount of liquid product into each bottle, an automatic filler can help to reduce product waste and minimize product losses.
Ensuring consistent quality control: An automatic bottle filler and rejector can be programmed to meet specific quality standards, ensuring that each bottle that passes through the production line meets the same high-quality criteria. This helps to maintain consistency in the finished product, reducing the likelihood of customer complaints or product recalls.

A rocket engine turbo pump test bench is designed and built on the basis of modularity, accuracy, and reliability in order to test the effectiveness of turbo pumps undergoing research and development by Launch Canada. The goal is to make a robust test bench that can accommodate turbo pumps of varying sizes that are either turbine or electrically driven, to compare different designs and solutions. The ability to test turbo pump designs is imperative to using one in the design of a rocket engine, therefore this test bench must be able to accurately and reliably read and record data obtained while simulating a launch scenario.
The list of criteria for the stand to be considered a success is: be controlled with a PLC with an HMI (human machine interface) away from the test stand, be able to start and end the turbo test, be able to support a 20 lb turbo pump, be able to support turbo pumps that are turbine driven or electric motor driven,be no more than 7 feet wide, 7 feet tall, and 20 feet long, be able to safely house up to two liquid oxygen, nitrogen, or compressed air tanks, have a thick metal plate to protect compressed tanks and electronics in case of a turbo pump explosion, be corrosion resistant in the turbo pump area, be able to measure turbo pump temperature, be able to measure turbo pump flow, be able to measure turbo pump pressure, be able to measure turbo pump vibrations, be able to measure turbo pump RPM up to 50,000 RPM, be able to measure turbo pump torque and power up to 12 kW, not deflect more than 0.001 inches at any point, be able to roll for transportation, be able to stand on uneven terrain, be corrosion resistant, be able to withstand 60 PSIG on the suction side of the turbo pump, and 700 PSIG on
the discharge side.
We have learned many things through our time working on this project but our key takeaways is that clear communication is extremely important as well as being able to work effectively as part of a team to accomplish common goals in a timely manner.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a non-profit organization that aims to fulfill the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to give them hope and strength. However, carrying out such activities requires significant financial resources, and the organization depends on donations from individuals and institutions to continue its work on a larger scale.

To support the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Team Achievers organized an 8-Ball Pool Game Night on March 21, 2023, at TailGators in Nepean, Ottawa. The project aimed to raise at least $1,000 as a donation to the charity, while also raising awareness about the organization’s mission and the importance of supporting underprivileged members of society. The project management experience gained by the team members through this project could be valuable for their future careers.

The event was a success, and the group managed to raise about 2615 CAD as a donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The funds raised would go a long way in fulfilling the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions and giving them hope and strength. The project was a great learning experience for the team members, and they felt fulfilled knowing that their efforts would make a positive impact on the community.

The Integrated Corrosion Sensor is a device that, when placed in an enclosed environment with metal, wirelessly uploads temperature, humidity, and material degradation to a corrosion index to help track the corrosion level on the aircraft. Limited parts allow it to be easily constructed and maintained by aircraft maintenance personnel.

The sensor’s size makes it easy to carry around. All the components are commercially available, making it easy to swap out broken or damaged parts. The device is 8 X 5 X 2.5 in3 and weighs less than 5 lb. It has a rectangular shape, with sensors on the top and side face of the device, and the Arduino microcontroller and batteries housed inside the casing. The size will allow the device to be placed in the corners and compartments of an aircraft while the Bluetooth transmitter will allow for constant monitoring of the area. Since the material degradation sensor can measure the resistance of any metal, the sensor can be used to measure any metal or material with a chance of corrosion.

The casing is a junction box made of ABS plastic making it water and corrosion-resistant. The temperature and humidity sensor is an Adafruit Sensiron SHT31-d. It is an i2c-based sensor that operates well within the criteria for accuracy, (+- 2% humidity and +-0.3% temperature). It also provides calibrated, linear signals with excellent resolution on a 9.5×6.5x1cm3 footprint and it easily connects to the Arduino microcontroller. The material degradation sensor uses a small current to measure the resistance of the tested material. Any material changes due to corrosion will affect the total resistance of the sample, and this information can be used to identify degradation. The microcontroller is an Arduino Uno Rev 2 (Wi-fi). This Arduino model can transmit data wirelessly (over Bluetooth or Wi-fi) and features the required analog ports for sensors. The Arduino will be powered by 9v batteries using a DC/AC adapter.

Online auction is conducted to raise funds for Make A Wish foundation which fulfills wishes of critical ill children. Also, donor drive is created online if someone wants to donate for the charity directly. The auction item is secured by the team members from different individuals and art shops, the item in auction includes Art Painting, Coffee Mug, Hat, Gift Cards, Water Bottle and many more. The bidding for the auction will begin on 30th March and will end on 4th April via auction32.com website.