VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Development of a Real-time Vision Framework for Autonomous Mobile Robots in Human-centered Environments
Keywords: Computer Vision
Deep Learning
Machine Learning
Mobile Robotics
Social Robotics

Autonomous mobile robots typically have limited computational power and memory available on-board, and often require information in real-time to make real-time deci- sions. Thus, a vision framework for such robots must provide information about the robots surroundings in real-time while being computationally efficient and memory con- scious. This thesis presents the development of a novel real-time vision framework that incorporates direction invariant person detection and recognition, and object detection and state recognition using deep learning and computer vision algorithms. The framework was integrated into two mobile robot architectures and was validated using real-world experiments on interactive mobile robots.
On the Bacterial Endosymbionts of Placobdella (Annelida: Hirudinea: Glossiphoniidae)
Keywords: bacteria
cophylogeny
endosymbiont
leeches
phylogeny
symbiosis

The objective of this project was to survey the diversity of bacterial endosymbionts of the genus Reichenowia inhabiting the esophageal organs of the blood feeding leech genus Placobdella. I aimed to (1) place these symbionts in a phylogeny among other bacterial phyla, (2) compare the evolutionary histories of these symbionts with those of their hosts, and (3) to explore the mode of transmission between parent and offspring to shed light on the vertical transmission of the bacteria inside of the leeches. I confirmed the presence of bacteria in ten previously untested Placobdella species by recovering bacterial DNA from bacteriome tissues and used TEMs to capture bacterial morphology and their location within their host. Lastly, phylogenetic analyses based on 16S and 23S rRNA found Reichenowia to be a monphyletic group of bacteria placing within the alphaproteobacterial family Rhizobiaceae and found no evidence of expected cospeciation between hosts and symbionts.
Evaluating the Field Performance of a Thermally-retrofitted Historic Masonry Home Using a Nested Thermal Envelope Design
Keywords: building monitoring study
energy modeling
historic home
Nested Thermal Envelope Design
Ontario Building Code
retrofit

In 2013, the Gemini home in Toronto was retrofitted to create the first Nested Thermal Envelope Design building. A one-year monitoring study of the building was conducted. The monitoring data were analyzed to evaluate the heating season performance of the design. In this study, energy models were developed and calibrated. When the entire Gemini home was heated (i.e., Standard Operating Mode), 25% less heating energy was required compared to an equivalent Ontario Building Code (OBC)-compliant home. Heating demand curves were developed to estimate the home’s energy use in other operating modes. In Lower-Energy Operating Mode, the Gemini home uses 63% less heating energy than the OBC model. Using the observed temperature data, a ratio, known as the Operating Ratio (O.R.), was developed to guide the operation of the interzonal heat pump. The O.R. can be used as a tool to determine the minimum operating setpoint temperatures in the Perimeter zone.
Role of Free-water Loss on Residual Strain and Fracture Predilection in Root Dentin: A Three-dimensional Digital Image Correlation Analysis
Keywords: Digital Image Correlation
Free-water
Residual Strain

Free-water loss induced residual strain, with and without axial loading, and the mechanical effect of cyclic loading in fully hydrated and partially dehydrated root dentin were evaluated using 3D-Digital Image Correlation and Micro CT imaging. 2 hours of free-water loss resulted in the formation of residual compressive strain with areas of tensile strain localized to root canal and outer dentin. More residual compressive strain was observed in the apical dentin compared to the cervical dentin. More residual shear strain was observed in the outer dentin compared to the inner dentin. Axial loading resulted in an increase in the load-induced compressive strain in the direction perpendicular to dentinal tubules. Fully hydrated samples displayed a higher mean number of cycles to fracture with micro-cracks characteristic of toughness when compared to partially dehydrated samples. Free-water loss occurring in endodontically treated teeth may play a significant role in their predisposition to vertical root fractures.
Software Development and Environmental Testing for New Frontier Microspace Missions
Keywords: aerospace
embedded software
environmental testing
formation flying
microsatellite
small satellite

This thesis presents contributions to the Vector Gravimeter for Asteroids (VEGA) and a microsatellite formation flying mission developed at the Space Flight Laboratory (SFL). Due to growing interest in space mining, SFL is helping to develop VEGA, an instrument to enable early prospecting of rich metal asteroids. The first focus of this thesis is software development hardware acceptance for the VEGA Power Board. In addition, constellations of multiple small spacecraft are an effective tool for reducing cost and risk while increasing mission flexibility. The ability for spacecraft to perform formation flight allows for sophisticated and lucrative applications of constellations such as geolocation of radio frequency signals. The second focus of this thesis is development of automated testing software for a three-spacecraft formation flying mission based on the improved SFL NEMO platform and system level environmental testing of all spacecraft prior to launch in the fall of 2018.
Human Automation Coordination: Supporting Driver Takeover during Predictable and Unpredictable Automation Failures
Keywords: Automated Vehicles
Driving Simulator
Lateral Automation
Reliability Display
Takeover Request

Today’s vehicles are becoming highly automated, changing the driver’s task from one of purely driving to one of monitoring the automation. Drivers may fail to monitor the automation, and therefore when drivers are forced to react to unexpected automation failures, they exhibit worse performance than manual driving. Through a driving simulator experiment, this thesis aims to 1)understand how different types of automation failure events, whether predictable or unpredictable, impact the driver’s takeover performance, and 2)compare driver takeover performance when using different displays, specifically the Takeover Request (TOR) and the reliability display. Findings show that drivers put their hands on the wheel sooner and have greater situation awareness for predictable failures; drivers appear to takeover sooner and have a better takeover quality during predictable failures when the reliability display is present than when TOR is present. As compared to no display, both displays provide a benefit to the driver’s takeover performance.
Upscaling Micromechanical Indentation Properties to Mesoscale Behaviour in Geomaterials
Keywords: Cementitious modelling
Finite-Discrete Element Modelling
Instrumented Indentation
Numerical Modelling
Unconventional Reservoir
Upscaling

The limited sampling volume in indentation analyses is both a strength and a weakness. While the testing method can be used to investigate specific grain scale mechanics in geomaterials, it is not easily translated to mesoscale behaviour. This work demonstrates the use of large indentation grid programs in addition to numerical modelling to investigate the mesoscopic behaviour of geomaterials. Using various facies from the lower Triassic Montney formation, a series of indentation grids of varying scales are used to demonstrate the variability in indentation modulus and fracture toughness due to bioclastic content. Alternatively, when explicitly defining the heterogeneity in a cementitious material, the indentation results from each constituent can inform and calibrate numerical models. A detailed mesoscale model is then calibrated for unconfined compressive strength, split tensile, and triaxial testing with the aid of indentation moduli from an exhaustive indentation program to form the basis for future field scale modelling.
Plasmonic Sensor using Double-layered Stimuli-responsive Polymer Microgel for Multiplexed Detection
Keywords: Biosensor
Microgel
Mycotoxin
Plasmonic
Sensing
Waveguide

Herein we present a sensor that uses surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and plasmonic waveguide resonance (PWR) modes to probe the behavior of two layers of stimuli-responsive polymers, called microgels, deposited on a gold film. These microgels can be molecularly imprinted, resulting in a high-loading-capacity synthetic receptor. In response to external stimuli, such as molecular binding events, their refractive index and thickness vary. Fabrication and testing demonstrated that changes in the SPR mode correspond to changes in the lower layer’s refractive index and thickness with p-values below 0.03, whereas changes in the PWR mode correspond to changes in the upper layer’s refractive index and thickness with p-values
Geoarchaeology: Analyzing the Relationships Between Fluvial Environments, Fluvial Processes, and the Presence of Archaic/Woodland Occupation Sites in Southern Ontario
Keywords: Archaeological
archaeology
floodplain
fluvial
ontario
river

The Ausable, Saugeen, and Thames river floodplains are analyzed in terms of archaeological and geomorphic data to examine the relationships that might exist between fluvial environments, fluvial processes, and Archaic/Woodland archaeological occupation sites in southern Ontario. A large-scale spatial analysis is conducted using data from the Ontario Archaeological Sites Database (OASD) in order to create a matrix of variables that may illuminate how rivers and occupation sites relate to each other. The Davidson site on the lower Ausable River is used as a case study due to the wide scope of archaeological and geomorphic research that has been conducted there. The OASD is found to be a useful tool in terms of data volume, quality, and accessibility for research projects of this scale. Indications of relationships between the location and preservation of archaeological sites and variables such as distance from river, elevation, and stream power are present in the results.
Creating Useful Road Mortality Models: Identifying Drivers of Road Mortality at Different Resolutions in the Greater Toronto Area
Keywords: American Toad Anaxyrus americanus
Amphibian
Conservation Management
Grey Treefrog Hyla versicolor
Road Ecology
Urban Ecology

Road propagation has led to landscape level threats due to habitat destruction, pollution, and mortality. Road mortality risk prediction converges on three drivers: habitat availability, landscape connectivity, and traffic volume. This study assessed the relative importance of mortality drivers in a peri-urban landscape at different taxonomic levels. Road mortality data and land cover data were provided by Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, and traffic data from governmental sources were used. I modelled landscape connectivity using circuit theory algorithms. Driver significance was assessed using univariate multiple regression models and multivariate redundancy analyses, using total road mortality, taxa-based road mortality, and species level road mortality for American toads and grey treefrogs. Local scale drivers such as wetland patchiness and amount had the greatest effects on road mortality. Greater divergence occurred at the species scale, though conserved patterns were seen across multiple taxonomic levels.
Self-reported Oral Health Status and Diabetes Outcomes in a Cohort of Diabetics in Ontario, Canada
Keywords: Acute complication
Chronic complication
Diabetes
Oral health
Population health

Objectives: To determine the difference in complications among diabetics reporting oral health. Methods: A cohort study was undertaken of diabetics from the CCHS (2003; 2007-8). Self-reported oral health (SROH) was linked to health records for participants aged > 40 years (N=5,183). A series of hazards and logistic regressions were constructed to determine the risk and odds of acute/chronic complications. Participants without complications were censored at death or at March 31/ 2016. Models were adjusted for age, sex, social and behavioural factors. Results: Those reporting “poor-fair” oral health had a 30% hazard of a complication (HR 1.29 95%CI 1.03, 1.61), and a 10% odds of acute (OR 1.10 95%CI 0.81, 1.51) and 34% odds of chronic complications (OR 1.34 95%CI 1.11, 1.61), greater than those reporting “good-excellent” oral health Conclusion: Oral health status is associated with diabetes complication; this study is the first to explore the oral health-diabetes link in Ontario.
A Critical Exploration of the Educational Trajectories of Six Hungarian Refugee Roma in Canada: Navigating Whiteness and Ethnic Identity
Keywords: Canada
Critical Race Theory
Ethnicity
Hungary
Roma
Roma Education

Moving away from bleak statistics on Roma and educational attainment, this paper looks to explore the life narratives of six Hungarian Roma refugee individuals who have migrated to Canada and have pursued non-obligatory education. The findings show three common experiences amongst the participants; (a) consistent parental messaging about the value of education (b) mostly positive experiences in earlier school years and (c) positive external influences. However, participants explained their positionality including their proximity to whiteness and Romungro identification as also playing a salient role in their positive experiences. This paper utilizes Critical Race Theory to explore these factors as they contribute to internal and external aspects of their lives and their educational trajectories.
Automatic Accelerator Selection for the LegUp ARM Hybrid Flow
Keywords: Accelerator
ARM
FPGA
HLS
Profiling

Devices combining a general purpose processor and reconfigurable FPGA fabric in the same package have recently become popular. Many tools exist to help simplify implementing designs on these devices. In particular, High Level Synthesis (HLS) tools are capable of taking code, written in languages such as C, as input and producing hybrid processor-accelerator systems. These systems include a software portion running on the processor and a custom hardware portion implemented in the FPGA fabric. However, given an application, it is often unclear how to distribute the workload between the reconfigurable logic and the processor. This thesis presents two approaches to estimate the performance of hybrid processor-accelerator systems generated with the open-source LegUp HLS tool. An accurate estimate can be used either to automatically generate the fastest hybrid system for an application, or to speed up the design of hardware accelerators and systems.
Characterizing the Association between Brain Morphology and Behavioural Symptomatology in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Keywords: attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder
autism spectrum disorder
clusterwise regression
regression clustering
social communication

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention decit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are prevalent and highly co-occurring neurodevelopmental disorders. The brain correlates of these disorders remain mostly unknown. This is partly due to the limitations of existing analytic methods in coping with the large within disorder variability and overlap between disorders. To address this challenges, we propose a new method called Bagged-Regression clustering for data-driven discovery of diagnosis-agnostic subgroups that may share brain-behaviour associations. This approach clusters the sample data into K groups, each with its own linear regression function. Using both simulated data and a real-dataset of brain-behaviour associations in ASD and ADHD, we show that the proposed method is able to recover multiple regression lines in the data.
Capacity Considerations for Data Storage in Memristor Arrays
Keywords: Combinatorics
Memristor array
Multi-layer memristor array
Resistive memory
Sneak-path

Memristor arrays are a promising memory technology that store information in a crossbar array of two-terminal devices that can be programmed to patterns of high or low resistance. While extremely compact, this technology suffers from the ``sneak-path'' problem: certain information patterns cannot be recovered, as multiple low resistances in parallel make a high resistance seem low. In this thesis we review the current state of memristor technology, including proposed solutions to the sneak-path issue. We extend this discussion by proposing some variations on existing encoding schemes involving one-hot encoding that improve reliability and ease of access, taking into account the scaling of peripheral hardware. We also extend the scope of the discussion by deriving the information capacity of models of multi-layer memristor devices, which is higher than that of the same number of single-layer devices stacked.
Exploring Theories, Opportunities, and Barriers to Anytime, Anywhere Knowledge Building
Keywords: artifacts
Knowledge Building
knowledge creation
mobile-assisted seamless learning
mobile learning
pervasive Knowledge Building

The goal of this thesis is to explore the theories, barriers, and possibilities of “anytime, anywhere” Knowledge Building. Knowledge Building assumes students to be legitimate contributors of knowledge and represents an effort to immerse students in the work of advancing conceptual knowledge. Pervasive Knowledge Building is a key principle, which advocates for students’ creative work with ideas that pervades their mental lives within and beyond school. However, Knowledge Building—and use of its supporting technology, Knowledge Forum—are often restricted to set times of the day. This research draws on theories of mobile and seamless learning to inform pervasive opportunities for students to engage with socially created knowledge. The findings are informed by early-stage exploratory research in a grade 6 class which aimed to take work with Knowledge Forum beyond set times of the day and bridge the divide between online and face-to-face discourse.
Miocene-Pliocene Deformation and Deposition in the Fiambalá Basin, NW Argentina: Implications for Local and Regional Kinematic Evolution
Keywords: Deformation
Geology
Mapping
Sedimentology
Tectonics

To address questions concerning the evolution of the Precordillera, Puna Plateau and Sierras Pampeanas morphotectonic domains, we explore the tectonic history of the Fiambalá basin, located at the junction of these three domains. We present new field observations and U/Pb geochronology of the Miocene stratigraphy in the Fiambalá basin. Our results suggest a NE-SW oriented regional foreland basin during the deposition of the oldest unit at ~ 8 Ma. We observe a change in orientation of the shortening axis between ~ 8 Ma and ~ 4 Ma from NW-SE to NE-SW, indicated by the onset of Pliocene intrabasin deformation. Depositional ages from the youngest Miocene unit indicate the propagation of deformation from SW to NE through the basin. These observations suggest that the Puna Plateau and Precordillera may have been part of a NE-SW oriented foreland basin, that transitioned to a broken foreland with the uplift of the Sierra Pampeanas.
A Robot Emotion Model for Human-Robot Interaction
Keywords: nth order Markov Model
Robot emotion

In order for socially assistive robots to be successfully integrated within society, they need to be able to respond appropriately to the user during assistive human-robot interactions (HRI). Such robots are expected to interact with humans using natural interfaces. In this thesis, a novel robot emotion model that can be used for social robots engaged in HRI is presented. The proposed model effectively determines the robot’s emotional state based on its own emotion history, the affect of the user whom the robot is interacting with, and the HRI task at hand. The model uniquely uses an nth order Markov Model (MM) to track the robot’s emotion history during interactions. Simulated experiments were conducted using the robot emotion model to persuade different users to comply with various tasks. A human-robot experiment with a social robot as an exercise coach was also designed to test the proposed model.
New Techniques for High-order Field Sensitivity Analysis with the Finite-difference Time-domain Method
Keywords: Electromagnetic Simulation
Finite-Difference Time-Domain
Sensitivity Analysis

This thesis proposes two techniques to compute the derivatives of electromagnetic fields with respect to multiple design parameters, up to any order, with the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. The first approach is based on coupling the complex-step derivative (CSD) approximation with the standard FDTD update equations. The second method utilizes standard FDTD simulations, mapping geometrical and material perturbations to equivalent sources for the field derivatives. The proposed techniques offer the versatility of standard methods, e.g., finite-differences, while their accuracy significantly surpasses that of finite-differences. The availability of accurate approximations of field derivatives with respect to design parameters enables studies such as sensitivity analysis of multiple objective functions (as derivatives of those can be derived from field derivatives via the chain rule), uncertainty quantification, as well as multi-parametric modeling and optimization of electromagnetic structures. The theory, FDTD implementation, computational complexity and applications of these techniques are presented.
Self-collision Detection and Avoidance for Dual-arm Concentric Tube Robots
Keywords: collision avoidance
concentric tube robots
Medical robotics

Recent studies on concentric tube robots (CTRs) have shown that they are well-suited for minimally invasive surgeries. However, typical surgical procedures require the use of multiple tools simultaneously which has led to the development of dual-arm CTRs that are susceptible to self-collision. In this research, a real-time closed-loop control system for dual-arm CTRs is proposed which detects and avoids inter-collision between arms along their entire body. The proposed controller is developed with three prioritized tasks; physical constraints, self-collision avoidance, and end-effector tracking. To avoid self-collision, the minimum distance between the manipulators in the Cartesian space is kept at a pre-set threshold. The experimental results demonstrated the efficacy of the controller in handling self-collision to reach 97.69% of all possible pairs of points in the overlapping workspace of two arms. Further, the maximum RMS tip position error in collision cases, 0.278 mm, was less than 1% of the total robot’s length.
Temporal Association Coding in the Medial Prefrontal Cortex: Difference in the Role among Distinct Neuron Types
Keywords: Associative memory
Computational Neurocience
Machine learning
Memory representation
Prefrontal cortex
Single-unit activity

The ability to associate two stimuli that are separated by a temporal gap requires at least two types of information: what has been presented (trace holding) and what will follow (temporal expectation). It has been shown that neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) can be selective for trace holding, temporal expectation or both. It remains unknown, however, what the distinct role of different neuron types is in representing trace holding and temporal expectation. Thus, the present study investigates the role of three distinct neuron types found in mPFC by applying a series of analyses. The narrow-waveform and fast-spiking neurons were more selective for trace holding than temporal expectation. The wide-waveform regular-firing neurons were equally selective for both types of information and the wide-waveform bursting neurons were less selective than the other neuron types. Therefore, I found that three neuron types have distinct contributions to the encoding of temporal association.