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Project Description:

contextere is transforming the future of work using AI to deliver actionable intelligence to the last tactical mile, empowering your workforce and improving asset performance. Our products and services enable our customers to navigate the fourth industrial revolution, and global skills gap successfully.

The Contextere AVA is an ML question-answering recommendation platform designed specifically for industrial technicians and operators. It uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) and neural networks to extract meaning from industrial enterprise data and determine the appropriate contextually relevant micro-guidance or insights. The AVA ‘bot app’ for Microsoft Teams enables users to ask questions and receive answers in real-time.

The Data Analytics Research Centre, a team, composed of Karim Shaloh, Research Assistant and the project lead, was formed for the sole purpose of accomplishing the client’s project brief. To manage the project’s scope, the client used an online management tool, Azure DevOps, to help alleviate stress, increase productivity and meet deadlines. Throughout the project, I learned how to communicate remotely and collaborate with an external team of developers. More importantly, I honed my python programming skills and learned Azure cloud services.

Although we faced many challenges along the way, it was an experience that deepened my knowledge regarding Machine Learning, NLP Projects, and cloud technologies. I am grateful to have worked with a fantastic client that was always understanding, supportive, patient and flexible with us.

Thank you to our client, the team from contextere, and Data Analytics Research Centre at Algonquin College for this incredible opportunity.

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Project Description:

The project that we worked on is the Tne Trader company. TnE Trader is a new business offering a platform to buy and sell used high-end tools. Their mission is to provide a straightforward process to buy and sell high-quality trades tools and equipment at a “fair market value.” They provide high-end used tools in an online marketplace, validate the quality of the sellers’ tools and equipment, fair market pricing for the quality of product, provide ongoing customer support and dynamic feedback on buyers/sellers.

Our client’s name is Mark Maclean, a business owner of Snap-on Tools, TnE Trader and a Multi-Franchisee from Ottawa. The client’s goal was to gain awareness to potential sellers and buyers and learn about his platform, to show that the new platform is reliable, to make potential users feel excited that there are high-end tools available on this website and to promote the platform through our video.

The problem that the client was facing was technicians spend thousands of dollars every year on high-end tools with no means of sourcing or selling high-end used tools. With a 20% market turnover rate, this allows for a large market of unsold high-end tools and equipment. Our team has created a video educating potential clients to trade used high-end automotive tools and equipment and to view the TnE Trader website as a “one-stop market platform” for all technicians to acquire and sell high-end tools and equipment.

Our team has gained great experience working together on our project. We have prioritized each member’s opinion and contributed work equally by having weekly team meetings and making every voice heard. Working for TnE Trader allowed us to gain networks with each other and our main goal was to satisfy our client at any cost. Additionally, we had weekly client meetings where we showcased each week’s progress through a presentation, which always has impressed our clients. Any suggestion that the client requested for change was met swiftly. Finally, in the end, we have created a motion graphic animated video for the TnE Trader to promote their platform which has matched and exceeded the expectations of the client.

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Project Description:

insightScope web application allows researchers to conduct and manage crowdsourced systematic and scoping reviews. It was started in 2018 by a team of Algonquin students from SLiDE led by Kevin Holmes and Sanket Patel, and researchers from CHEO led by Dr. Dayre McNally. Since its inception, insightScope strived to revolutionize the systematic review process. By using insightScope to build a large vetted team, the systematic review process is significantly accelerated from months and years to days and weeks.

During the last term, the insightScope team developed, refactored, tested, and deployed various features of the application. One major highlight is the significant enhancement of Data Abstraction. Data Abstraction occurs after full-text screening whereby the study team identifies and records relevant data, such as research design, type and number of participants, and patient outcome from the articles in the review. This involves collecting duplicate user responses to questions logically classified into study-type forms. Once reviewers have finished extracting data for an article, results are compared to find conflicts. The study team then resolves the conflicts, finalizing data elements for analysis and presentation of findings.

Early research from the team suggested that Data Abstraction by insightScope reduces the conflict resolution work by 50 percent. It increases the potential of running even more systematic reviews with better efficiency on our platform, increasing our prospects for scholarly output that drives evidence-based patient care.

The previous version of insightScope was limiting the types of data points that researchers could abstract as they relied on preconfigured forms. To overcome this, the team refactored the Data Abstraction to be configured by the principal investigator. Study type forms can now be created with multiple question types that accept answers in single or multiple choices, text, number, or date formats. One unique feature is the assignment of dynamic sub-questions that are toggled based on user selections. Further additions include help texts, comment enforcement, custom ordering of forms and questions, marking questions as not applicable, shared database of forms for reuse across multiple projects, assessments auto-save, etc.

 
The design and development phases of these features came with their own set of struggles and learning opportunities. An increase in customization surged logic complexity and edge cases which can potentially introduce bugs. One arduous thing was to devise a simple yet efficient conflict detection algorithm supporting all question types. Dramatic database changes could introduce anomalies. Through research, design sessions, demos, and close collaboration with the CHEO team, we delivered a robust solution. The team tackled a significant codebase refactor focusing on business logic abstraction, reusability, testability, maintainability and reducing technical debt. The team was provided with exciting opportunities to work with technologies like Amazon Web Services, Python data structures, HTML 5, CSS3, JavaScript, and open-source libraries like Draggable from Shopify.

We are proud of the accessible, user-friendly, and intuitive user interfaces that we developed. We were able to manage ourselves effectively using an agile development mindset. Throughout this process, we acquired many invaluable skills and experiences that aided us to accomplish our goals.

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Project Description:

Currently, the process of independently researching necessary safety, operational, and market-related information is laborious and time-consuming as explained by the client in personal correspondence; machinery safety and pricing information is accessed via internet searches or paper manuals. This causes inconvenience in that there can be delays when attempting to retrieve the information; the information is not at hand when needed; the information accessed may not be the most current information. Currently, there are some alternate websites that can be utilized to retrieve relevant information; however, they are not as convenient to use and do not encompass everything the client is looking for. In summary, there is no centralized system currently in place to address these concerns. The concerns are to be addressed by creating an app that can organize information about each machine, provide safety measures, and act as a central hub for woodworkers. There is a solution recommended for the client, which is to build a database desktop application to summarize all resources that the client needs.

This project has been conducted as a collaborative effort between a team of students from the Computer Engineering Technology–Computing Science program. This group of students possess specialized knowledge and technical programming skills in creating an interactive desktop application using Electron Framework and JavaScript-based programming language. The desktop software of our team has created will enable the client to precisely manage the woodworking tool resources, which enables classifying the fastest and most convenient catalogue and dividing the hazard levels of woodworking tools. The application will be compatible with Windows operating system and compatible with a future system update.

This desktop application implemented will:
• Allow data entry of an item manually
• Import and export data from Excel or CSV files
• Calculate the cost for a particular tool category
• Produce graphs and reports
• Print all the information related to a specific tool chosen by the client
• Export data to a usable file format such as ASCII TXT format, should the application become unusable due to age
• Be intuitive and easy to operate
• Be compatible with Windows OS and compatible with future OS updates
• Not be rendered obsolete by newer technologies for an extended period of time
• Contain search features to facilitate product information acquisition
• Quickly and accurately retrieve relevant safety and operational information
• Includes all required resources documentation of woodworking in Resources library
• Simplifying and easy to get started with User interface

The scope of this project is as follows: keyword query, produce graphs and reports, display specific item details, sum calculation of item costing, documentation of all woodworking tools description, a listing of woodworking tools, linked pictures, and application guides manual for operators. The application will not include features such as purchase and payment. Interpretation of literature content attributable to the source. The finished application will be given to Mr. Donaldson to address the current issues being faced. This project is not transferred to the public domain and will not be used in any commercial capacity.

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Project Description:

The project is a web application used for personnel training in anti-corruption and bribery offered by The Canadian Center of Excellence for Anti-Corruption (CCEAC). The mission of the CCEAC is to be an academically based platform that encourages exchange and communication of best practices to help prevent, detect and deter corruption related issues. The CCEAC encourages and supports the propagation of knowledge and best practices through training, mentorship, education, advocacy, research and other activities that can increase the capacity of people, organizations and other entities to tackle corruption related issues. The web application will be browser based and allow for registered users to create and issue quizzes, on the subject of anti-corruption, to employees they wish to provide training to. Another key feature will be to host a database of content for quizzes that users can contribute to, growing the amount of available content for quiz creation.
The team has conferred with the client and decided that a browser-based web application will be the best solution and will be deployed through the client’s website. The goal of the application will be to provide an engaging, easy to use platform where users can create and take quizzes. The ability to customize quiz content as well as track quiz scores are key features. Another key feature is database management to be performed by the administration.
Three tiers of users have been identified as administrative, employer and employee. Employer accounts will have the ability to create and issue quizzes to employees, as well as track progress and manage employee accounts. The employee tier will primarily have access to quizzes issued by an employer. Both employer and employee user-types will have the ability to submit quiz questions to be reviewed by administration which will then be added to the database upon approval. An administrative account will be able to manage all registered users and the database.

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Project Description:

Sprouty is an application designed to provide a platform that will allow users to plan and support their gardens and house plants. This lightweight and intuitive application will allow plant enthusiasts of any experience to track when their plants will need water, where to grow plants in relation with others, and will provide users with helpful advice when dealing with day-to-day operations in their garden. The end goal is to provide an accessible application to a plant-enthusiast of any skillset, or experience.
As part of the development process, the application’s goal is to reduce human error that can occur during maintenance and upkeep of your plants, while keeping expenditure low. Human error can present in many forms, but the most common being over-watering and neglecting plants.
The development of the application will keep this in mind, using notifications sent using either e-mail for browser users or push-notifications for mobile users, to provide the user with accurate and helpful information-based off the data provided by the application, or the user’s custom information that they can use to override the pre-loaded information.

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Project Description:

For the past few years, local businesses have been dealing with a shift to their normal day to day operations because of the global pandemic.
At the end of 2021, they are still facing the same issues, however they are also much closer to going back to normal.

To further assist local businesses in this time of need, POP TiKR “Download Your Local Scene” has made available a suite of innovative, robust and responsive applications that will harness the process of creating and managing deals for business owners. We are also offering a state of the arch Mobile Application for residents and tourists, where they can easily discover their local scene and redeem coupons.

Our solution has been made available for everyone to use since September 2021, and we have had an amazing launch event that definitely put POP TiKR on the map.
We currently have more than 100 businesses already onboarded on our platform, and since we have made our mobile application available on app stores, 500 people have downloaded and used the app.

The Algonquin College’s Data Analytics Research Center team has been designing, developing and maintaining both the React Native Mobile Application available on iOS and Android, and the Web Application Portal used by business owners. This incredible team is composed of:
— Theo Mirtchev (Managing Director)
— Adesh Shah (Principal Investigator)
— Eduard Draghiciu (Product Manager/Developer/UX Designer)
— Marina Wolff (UI/UX Designer/Tester)
— Stive AZ (Web App Portal Developer)
— Manuel Duong (Mobile App Developer)
— Kiet Vuong (Mobile App Developer)

The mobile application is helping Canadians discover and explore their local scene in their communities across Canada. Users are able to seamlessly browse through a multitude of exclusive deals offered by local businesses and quickly redeem coupon codes.
The technology stack we are using for the mobile app is:

— React Native/Expo
— TypeScript
— DynamoDB
— Amazon Web Services
— Amazon Cognito
— GraphQL

Our modern web application portal is used by business owners who can also easily keep the local scene engaged by creating and managing their stack of deals and coupons, all done directly in the Merchant Portal.
The Merchant Portal is using the following modern technologies:

— React (Hooks)
—Typescript
— Amazon Web Services
— DynamoDB
— GraphQL

We want to thank Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and Applied Research Innovation and Entrepreneurship center for their precious support in bringing this project to life and making it as successful as it is now.

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Project Description:

POP TikR is helping local businesses secure patronage! The pandemic showed that POP TikR is needed now more than ever! Businesses can sign-up through the POP TikR website, once vetted and approved as a legitimate business, the merchant will have access to The Merchant Portal where they can post deals/discounts to be redeemed by users/patrons who have downloaded the POP TikR app! POP TikR wanted to keep their overall layout, formatting, and styling but wanted added security and maintainability to their website.
To achieve this, POP TikR’s existing website needed a stack update…While(1s) to the rescue!
Our solution was recreating POP TikR’s website using Gatsby with React JS. Through an agile approach we started learning how to use Gatsby and the React JS language. Along the way we learned what did and did not work through trail and error. Our biggest challenge was recreated the CSS generated from the drag-and-drop platform WordPress over to React JS in Gatsby. We enjoyed learning how to use React components that represent HTML along with their associated stylings. Exposure to working agile in a team setting was great experience for us all.
Come meet with the While(1s) to hear about our POP TikR journey!!!

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Project Description:

This project was intended to create a website for our client, an Ottawa-based artist Olga Pimenova who lost her previous website. She needed a new website that is worthy of her artistic talent and can show off her paintings and murals but also allows her to organize events like art class, commission, and paint nite.

At the beginning of our project, we had done multiple interviews with the client’s representative, her daughter Maria Pimenova, to determine the scope and requirement of this project. Based on the project requirement, we created the website “Paint With Olga”, where she can organize different art classes, paint nite, and commission. A collection of her previous artwork will be exhibited on the website in the gallery section. The users of the website will be able to view the various artworks created by our client, learn more about events organized, and can sign up for art classes, paint nite, and commission. The client will have the privilege to modify the artwork that will be displayed on the website, change the event schedule, and receive inquiries regarding the art classes she hosts. Users can pay for different services through the website or can contact the client via email.

We followed the “Agile” software development methodology for this project. Our project was developed based on WordPress. The product listing and management system, credit card and PayPal checkout system, order management system were implemented with WooCommerce. The contact form and email system were implemented by Jetpack.

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Project Description:

In Canada right now, roughly 9% of the population has a mobility disability, with the majority being seniors. Those that have these disabilities require special equipment to accommodate their needs. The issue with this equipment is that they are extremely durable, while their usage stops long before they are broken. Due to this, many are left with expensive equipment that they can no longer use. While there are more than a few general marketplaces, there is a distinct lack of a specialized marketplace to sell this mobility equipment.

The Accessibility Trade project intends to solve this issue by giving users a place to part with their old equipment and obtain new equipment. The Solution Squad worked alongside their client Islam Gomaa to create a virtual platform that allows those in need to search for mobility equipment.

The project is a web application that allows users to post advertisements for any of the mobility equipment they no longer need. These posts include all information needed to sell or donate the item. Users can keep a shopping cart to track items they’re interested in. The specialization will make it easier to find what you need, increasing usability. Images may be added to these posts to increase visibility. All content posted is rigorously moderated and verified to ensure a high degree of quality.

The project is built on an intermediary scale to manage an approximated 2,000 users and 10,000 pieces of equipment. The database functionality allows users to store encrypted identifying information to eventually make transactions. The application following this will handle all transactions, eliminating the need for bargaining. Additionally, it will handle all delivery information allowing users to trade equipment seamlessly.

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