Backgrounder
September 30, 2008
BUILDING ONTARIO’S INNOVATION ECONOMY
Digital Media And Information And Communications Technologies
University of Guelph
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Dr. Kris Inwood, Dr. Graeme Morton
Analyzing data to shed light on how people adapt to economic and demographic changes
Provincial Funding: $250,000
Careful demographic, social and economic analysis of census data provides an indispensable body of knowledge that has a wide range of uses, including development of public policy. Drs. Kris Inwood and Graeme Morton from the University of Guelph will establish publicly accessible research databases from information collected during the 1871 census in both Canada and Scotland. The data, which will be compared with the 1881 census, will reveal among other things, how people adapted to the dramatic economic and demographic changes during the 1870s, an important decade for industrialization, emigration and immigration in Ontario. Those issues are equally pressing today and understanding clearly how people coped in the 1870s will help policymakers deal with them in current times.
Dr. Nidal Nasser
Advancing wireless sensor networks
Provincial Funding: $114,687
A wireless sensor network consists of a number of distributed devices that use specialized sensors to monitor physical or environmental conditions, such as temperature, sound, pressure or motion, at different locations. They have a wide range of applications including health care, education, energy management, public safety, disaster recovery and emergency response. Still in early stages, their potential is not fully realized. At the new Wireless Computing Laboratory at the University of Guelph, Dr. Nidal Nasser is conducting research that addresses performance, scalability and resilience of new and emerging technologies in these networks, research that also has the potential to keep Ontario’s wireless industry competitive.
Dr. Stephen Crawford
Incorporating Aboriginal traditional knowledge in the management of natural resources
Provincial Funding: $58,144
Developing and implementing practical guidelines for incorporating traditional Aboriginal knowledge in the management of natural resources is the goal of research being conducted by Dr. Stephen Crawford at the University of Guelph. Dr. Crawford will use digital information technology, including two-way video conferencing and digital audio-video recording, to develop strategies to enhance cross-cultural communication of resource management. His work will help to foster effective communication between Aboriginal communities and federal/provincial/regional resource management agencies.
Dr. James Harley
Advanced digital audio production and performance studio
Provincial funding: $126,298
At the new Advanced Digital Audio Production and Performance Studio (ADAPPS) at the University of Guelph, researchers led by Dr. James Harley are taking advantage of recent cutting-edge technological developments in the area of digital audio and media. Their goal is to explore the creative potential of high-resolution, multi-channel digital audio and high-definition video – including the integration of this technology into interactive performance and web-based media. The work produced at ADAPPS will be presented nationally and internationally, enhancing Ontario’s reputation for leading-edge research in the rapidly expanding field of audio and integrated data.
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