Description :

The theme of this research project is the very high sensitivity acquisition of GNSS signals, especially GPS and Galileo, for navigation in space. Indeed, in such context it is necessary to have a very high sensitivity for several reasons: 1. Due to the distance involved, which are much larger compared to terrestrial users; 2. Because the GNSS signals are used in a way that was not expected at the beginning, i.e. in directions where the power transmitted by the satellites is much lower; 3. The dynamics are extremely variable (very fast in low orbits, and very slow in high orbits).
This thematic, started long ago, is currently highly topical with the soon arrival of four global constellations (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou). However, this is a difficult theme, because physical limits apply and require new strategies for an efficient and flexible acquisition.
The goal of this project is therefore to design the acquisition of a GNSS receiver for space, which is both flexible and efficient. This means that the acquisition time and the resources used should be as low as possible; the receiver should be able to acquire signals with a very weak power or with a very high Doppler, and it should be able to work autonomously as well as to exploit the potential assistance available.

Description :

This contact between MDA and ÉTS supports a collaborative effort in technology development for the application of innovative approaches in remote sensing and geo-modelling to monitor surface deformation and change in pipeline rights of way using Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). Specifically, on the developing proof-of-concept technologies for next-generation electronic transponders, which allow active ground-based signals to be detected within SAR imagery and used as point targets during data analysis and interpretation. A project entitled "Comprehensive Earth Observation-Based Pipeline Monitoring Approach" is under a contract to MDA with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), under the Earth Observation Application Development Program (EOADP). The collaborative research in this subcontract matches the expertise of MDA in satellite remote sensing technologies and applications, SAR satellite systems, and ÉTS’s expertise in signal processing and design of electronic devices for satellite navigation and control.

The principal role of ÉTS in the project is to provide geo-engineering support and research expertise to MDA’s Technical Team to:

• Review and update e-Transponder design, as needed
• Source and integrate components for breadboard development
• Perform laboratory testing
• Document methodology and results and recommend next steps

Description :

The research project MEDOC is devoted to the study and analysis of the drivers’ mobility. This joint project is led by Ifsttar in collaboration with École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS). The role of ETS is to provide 40 electronic Micro-IBB black-boxes to be installed by 200 motorists living in Île-de-France, in the department of Yvelines (78), or various cities selected through the departments of Essonne (91), Hauts-de-Seine (92) and Val de Marne (94). The recorded data should allow learning vehicle dynamics and then relating these data to the characteristics of road infrastructure. This innovative method is complementary to common experimental and epidemiological studies to assess driving behaviours in natural environment "with minimum interference", also known as naturalistic approach. This equipment combined with the completion of a log book will allow recording data related to vehicle behaviour as well as the incidents encountered by the participants during their travels. This project will provide an overview on the drivers’ mobility through primarily many variables related to the vehicle dynamics or driving tasks and also through "Big Data" post processing analysis. This information will be available for all the trips of 200 volunteer motorists, for a two-month period (excluding pre-tests). With these wealth data, it should be possible to better understand many driving behaviours for which very little information were available until now. A paradigm shift should then be feasible regarding the safest, cleanest, most efficient mobility that this technology will allow to drivers.

Description :

The main objective is to solve present technological limitations and scientific challenges related to GPSDenied navigation for indoor environments, autonomously, without any external infrastructures (WiFi, GSM, RFID, etc.). Promising new digital signal processing architectures and methods will be investigated to enable indoor tridimensional precise positioning, navigation and to determine robust 3D spatial attitude of an autonomous GNSS receiver. This receiver will dynamically evolve in extremely weak navigation satellite signal scenarios (so-called "indoor"). The program will exploit notably system redundancy, new properties and possibilities of existing new GNSS signals. To enable such new capabilities, the methodology will investigate first the advantages of using a multi-antenna GNSS receiver. This in-house receiver has all capabilities to receive any kind of available GNSS signals from multiple antennas (typically 2 to 8). GNSS signal and frequency diversity analysis along with multipath signals and high sensitivity processing will be investigated using a patented and fully "open-design" universal GNSS architecture. The second major initiative will be conducted based on the principles derived from the telecommunication cognitive radio (CR) technology. This unique receiver will be referred to as the "intelligent Multi-Antennas Cognitive GNSS Receiver (iMACGR)". A third investigation will aim to evaluate benefits of using raw measurements from very low cost inertial sensors such as 3D gyroscope, accelerometer and magnetometer, with adaptive learning processes to assist the iMACGR indoors. Several potential billion dollar industries will emerge by these GPS-Denied applications. The results of this program will open a completely new area of applications with GNSS navigation and reliable attitude determination indoors. This research program will strongly contribute towards new indoor guidance capabilities and businesses, new applications and security improvements for first responders, tourism, medical, defense and transportation industries, etc. This research program will directly be profitable to other numerous applications and engineering fields, including telecommunications and geomatic sciences.

Description :

Satellites act as relay stations and form a critical part of the world-wide communications infrastructure. They are used for communications, positioning, remote sensing, in civil and/or military applications such as Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB), high-definition video, amateur radio communications, broadband Internet, weather forecasting, environment surveillance, Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), etc. Satellite Communications (SatCom) systems are sensitive to Radio Frequency Interference (RFI). The rapid rate of technological developments will continue to lower the entry barrier for space, increasing the number of players in the space arena. This fact, in combination with the ever-increasing thirst for satellite communications bandwidth, will inevitably lead to a dramatic increase in RFI. Unfortunately, because of RFI’s variety of sources and causes, RFI is a challenging problem for researchers, operators and manufacturers. The AVIO-601 project aims to develop a technical framework for the detection, measurement and mitigation of RFI to resolve satellite link interference issues and increase the global robustness of SatCom systems. The main strategic goal of this project is to develop novel cognitive system architectures and digital signal processing techniques to detect, localize, characterize and suppress RFI in SatCom networks and to demonstrate their feasibility in real world situations through implementation of a proof-of-concept hardware/software prototype. An additional objective is to develop an RFI atlas platform, that is, a complete database of RFI sources, characteristics, and locations that will be updated in real-time by an RFI measurement and monitoring module. The project will also study the potential of using reconfigurable antennas as a means to reduce RFI at the radiofrequency hardware level. The AVIO-601 project team will consist of 16 students, and 3 professionals. The proposed research program will provide a platform for the training of highly-qualified personnel in innovative architectures and new concepts of adaptive filtering, blanking, signal authentication, encryption, adaptive equalization, adaptive antenna beams and resource management, null steering, etc.

Description :

The AMOSS project was inspired by the AMOOS (Autonomous Mission for On-Orbit Servicing) project. This is a team project that is part of the Space Studies Program (SSP) of the International Space University (ISU) to be held at the campus of École de technologie supérieure (Montreal, QC) from June to August 2014. The project proposes innovative autonomous missions to service operational and defective satellites in orbit using drones or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Systems (UAVS).

It is primarily intended to promote the civilian use of drones and will benefit from the AMOOS project results.

Description :

The AMOOS Project aims to produce a business plan related to the design and execution of autonomous missions for on-orbit servicing based on orbital Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). The ISU Team will also design a virtual scenario simulation to demonstrate the capabilities of a modified orbital UAV to execute autonomous on-orbit missions on Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites.

Project feasibility of AMOOS will be demonstrated by conducting complete virtual on-orbit missions synchronized with real-time execution of subscale drone missions near the Earth’s surface. These virtual missions will also demonstrate the benefits of low cost Drones on daily life applications. Key enabling space technologies will be identified for (a) servicing satellites in order to extend their operational lives and enhance their performances, (b) transporting and deploying small and secondary payloads in LEO, and (c) deploying new technologies to reduce space debris.

Investigations will be conducted into potential threats and risks associated with the utilization of drones for autonomous space missions.

AMOOS Civilian Benefits: Investigation of potential economic and environmental benefits related to autonomous missions and new civilian applications using low cost commercial drones.

Description :

Marinvent, a Canadian aerospace R&D company, has a uniquely new paradigm for airfoil boundary layer monitoring instrumentation with application issues that most likely can be addressed within a joint research project. The proposed research area has far reaching implications in the areas of stall prediction, warning and protection for existing and future civilian and military airplanes. At present, Marinvent has an Aerodynamic Performance Monitor system, referred to as the APM. The system intends to provide the airfoil true lift margin to the airplane’s crew in real time such as stall warning under clean, contaminated or iced airfoil, correct stall prediction in the take-off roll, shock stall protection and tail & fin stall protection. A data acquisition and transmission mechanism is in need to perform rapid and nonintrusive installation of the APM sensor mast. Specifically, the main objective of the proposed ENGAGE grant is to design appropriate digital signal processing solutions that can be implemented in such a way as to wirelessly transmit digital data in an airborne electromagnetic environment. One targeted solution is to digitize the sensor output immediately inside the mast. A second consideration will be to design wireless data transmission protocol for real-time multi-mast communication. In fact, to transfer data wirelessly under safety-critical circumstances such as airborne applications, a number of constrains are to be met by the selected RF transmitting scheme. To be consistent with national standards and to ensure enough sensitivity, a comprehensive analysis of the impact of the RF transmission scheme will be done. To overcome these limitations research into modulation scheme will be done not only for RF up-conversion but also for efficient spectrum management, both of which will be implemented on the in-mast signal processing platform. Accordingly, new mast to accommodate the modified signal processing platform will be investigated to optimize space for wireless technology and power supply.

Description :

The goal of the present project is to develop biomedical technologies using ITC for the conception of a tool that will measure a clinical maneuver called ‘pivot shift’. This clinical test is used in clinics for the diagnosis of knee ligament ruptures. The tool will provide a quantitative measurement of the shift. This measurement will correlate with the grade, attributed by the clinician during the pivot shift. To do this, the tool will first be conceived, machined and pre-validated. To validate the precision of the tool, we intend to proceed to a fluoroscopic study. This step will allow the quantification of the relative movement between the tool and the underlying soft tissues. Once validated, we believe that the tool will be very useful in clinics for an objective diagnosis, allow a better post-operative follow-up and develop rehabilitation protocols leading to functional recovery of the knee. To facilitate clinical use and transfer to the consumer, another aim of the project will consist in reducing the number of sensors by using MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) technologies and micro-electronics and to make the system wireless.

Description :

This project is related with the Soldier Systems Technology Roadmap (SSTRM) which is a government-industry-academia collaboration aimed at enhancing the operational effectiveness of the future Canadian soldier. The Capstone Report and Action Plan (2011–2025) have established a technology roadmap for the future Canadian Soldier (www.materiel.forces.gc.ca/en/sstrm.page). One of the Capstone research projects consist in determining the precise location of a target without optical laser. The principal objective of the 4 years ÉTS research project is to develop advanced attitude estimation algorithms and inertial MEMS sensor calibration methods to establish robust and precise attitude estimation using medium to high grade MEMS inertial sensor combined or not with GPS receiver in an outdoor environment. The project will focus on the triad assembly calibration methods, temperature compensation techniques, precise reference determination and precision GPS attitude determination using direct satellite navigation signals. Some researches will be 1) high accuracy/fidelity inertial sensor error models, application of nonlinear geometric control theory for attitude stabilization and precision measurement, etc.

The main differences of this project compare to the discovery program are numerous 1) the attitude determination needs to be done outdoor with open sky view of GPS satellites, 2) the grades of the MEMS sensors are from medium to high, 3) the developed algorithms will not use multipath GPS signals, nor weak GPS signal or low cost MEMS grade sensors, 4) research problematics and techniques are different.

Description :

This project aims to establish new design methods for robust and efficient automotive navigation and optimal management of a fleet of vehicles in harsh environments. In addition, the project also aims to develop innovative metrics for real-time analysis of dangerous driving behaviour as well as real-time analysis of car accidents in order to significantly improve global safety of Canadian drivers. In general, this research proposes to combine measurements from a high sensitivity GPS receiver with data coming from a self-contained inertial navigation system and other complementary autonomous sensors such as odometers and magnetometers. Moreover, in order to provide an affordable solution, the targeted system will be based exclusively on the use of very low cost sensors. It is expected that this project will help reduce the environmental footprint of motor vehicles in addition to having a significant positive impact on overall vehicle safety. For example, improving vehicle localisation accuracy and robustness in harsh environments can significantly reduce the time to find a stolen or misplaced vehicle, which can have an important impact on Canadian companies’ finances. Furthermore, having a robust and precise solution for monitoring vehicle behaviour can lead to the implementation of a new taxation system based on car usage or on driving behaviour, which according to recent studies, can help reduce vehicle greenhouse gas emissions by up to 10%. In addition, accurate reconstruction of car accidents in real-time allow prediction of specific parameters of an accident scene thus improving reaction time and vehicle safety. The proof-of-concept demonstrator will be evaluated in-laboratory and on-road using simulation equipment and a car test platform under real operating conditions in order to characterize protocols and system performance. The project will contribute to international initiatives for the definition of new standards and contribute to Canadian efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and create new employment opportunities for the team of highly qualified personnel.

Description :

This project aims to establish new design methods and digital signal processing techniques for robust and efficient universal navigation and communication equipment in the fields of aeronautics and aerospace. New avionic standards are under study and strong arguments exist for the adoption of software defined radios (SDR) at this point in time. The project anticipates the integration of multiple navigation and communication systems in a single hardware element. Such integration minimizes system footprint and avionic weight, reduces part count, and will incorporate more efficient new airspace management system (ADS-B), thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the framework of international environmental initiatives. The aeronautic and aerospace industries have interest in a single generic reprogrammable and universal communication system used to replace multiple and burdensome radios/antennas presently used in aircrafts. The proposed system will allow for multiple radios that are simultaneously accommodated and have numerous functionalities, and will be implemented on a flexible integration platform suitable to future applications. The project will consist of integrating DME, Mode S transponder and wideband digital radio, built with novel software defined architecture proximal to the antenna. The architecture enables the capability to redeploy functionality based on phase of flight and minimizes connectors, antennas, cable length, electromagnetic interference (EMI) and system footprint. The goal is to digitize the radiofrequency (RF) signal in proximity to the antenna and to transmit the baseband signal to a generic radio for further digital signal processing. The proof-of-concept demonstrator will be evaluated in-laboratory and in-flight using simulation equipment and a flight test platform under real operating conditions in order to characterize protocols and system performance. The project will contribute to international initiatives for the definition of new standards and contribute to Canadian efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and create new employment opportunities for the team of highly qualified personnel. The developed technologies will also be applicable to ground or airborne infrastructure.

Description :

The constant reduction in the size of the transistors makes electronics generally more sensitive to the effects of cosmic radiation, which has an impact on the reliability of embedded systems subject to these radiations. Some stakeholders in the aviation do not hesitate to identify the radiation as the causes of the increase they noted in the number of cases of malfunctioning equipment malfunction disappears after the offending equipment has been reset. The main objective of this project is the adaptation of conventional methods of integration (from design to test) of embedded systems to take into account the effect of cosmic radiation on electronic modules required level of reliability, in the presence of programmable FPGA circuits.

Description :

CRIAQ AVS-509 project is a research project on the design of modular avionics architectures and integrated commonly called IMA (Integrated and Modular Avionics). The main purpose of this research project aims to explore the design methodologies IMA systems and evaluate the impact of architectural decisions. A platform for experimentation will be developed to enable prototyping IMA systems. An application of synthetic vision increased (ESVS) will be implemented on this demonstrator IMA. CMC Electronics Inc. and CAE companies. are partners in this project and the École Polytechnique de Montreal. The project has a duration of four years (2011-2015).

Project Website : http://areximas.etsmtl.ca