Zahia Ouadah: a Versatile and Determined Graduate
Sustainability at the Heart of a Mechanical Project Between CEPI and ISUJ Date : September 10th 2024
Combining experiential learning, sustainability, and applied research is possible at La Cité College. The Institute of Emergency and Legal Services (ISUJ) recently turned to the Centre for Expertise in Smart Prototyping (CEPI) to develop a cost-effective and sustainable solution to replace the drills used in the Advanced Paramedical Care program.
Combining experiential learning, sustainability, and applied research is possible at La Cité College. The Institute of Emergency and Legal Services (ISUJ) recently turned to the Centre for Expertise in Smart Prototyping (CEPI) to develop a cost-effective and sustainable solution to replace the drills used in the Advanced Paramedical Care program. These drills, which are used to administer medication through the patient's bone, are essential for the training of future paramedics.
"Each drill costs around $1,000 and has a lifespan of 1 to 2 years. When the battery is depleted, the entire device must be discarded, which is neither environmentally friendly nor cost-effective, especially considering that we always need at least six functional devices for training our future paramedics," explains ISUJ technologist Jonathan Desmarais. "The idea of being able to reuse these devices has been on my mind for some time. Now, thanks to the CEPI, we have a great opportunity."
From left to right: Jonathan Desmarais, Technologist – ISUJ, Maya Dauth, Research Assistant – CEPI, Frédéric Bousquet, PEPA Student – Mechanical Engineering Technology and Guy Martial Divakou, Professor – Electrical Engineering Technology (absent from the photo)
At the research center, the team developed a durable and cost-effective solution. They proposed 3D printing a new drill casing, identical to the original on the outside to maintain the feel of holding the original drill but modifying the internal geometry to accommodate rechargeable batteries.
Part of this project was assigned to Frédéric Bousquet, a Mechanical Engineering Technology student at La Cité, who was hired this summer to work on research projects. Under the supervision of Maya Dauth, a research assistant at CEPI, Frédéric played a key role in this project.
"Working on this project has been an incredibly enriching experience. I had the opportunity to use and deepen the skills I learned in my courses and contribute to a sustainable and innovative solution."
Special thanks to the Bureau of Ideation and Creativity (BIC) for lending their scanner and to Guy Martial Divakou, professor of Electrical Engineering Techniques, for his work on the rechargeable battery interface.
This project aligns perfectly with La Cité’s strategic directions in sustainability and experiential learning. It showcases the expertise and efficiency of our research center specialized in prototyping and artificial intelligence, thanks to a team of seasoned experts and cutting-edge equipment.
Software development is a passion for Zahia Ouadah, who graduated from Collège La Cité in spring 2023 with a degree in Computer Engineering Technology. During her training, she took part in projects and internships that enabled her to put her skills into practice.
Recently, at the Centre for Expertise in Smart Prototyping (CEPI), she worked on the development of the JetAuto robot, a small autonomous car. This is a unique opportunity for her to merge her interests in programming, robotics, and artificial intelligence (AI).
"My ultimate goal is to learn how to program it so that it can perform automated tasks and be able to adapt to its environment. This will require integrating AI into the system, which is a stimulating challenge, but essential to taking the car to the next level of performance."
Zahia Ouadah in the Centre for Expertise in Smart Prototyping
In recent months, Zahia has also collaborated on an analysis application project with the company Northern Nanopore Instruments, where her role was to design and implement the application's user interface as well as integrate advanced features to analyze and visualize timeseries data.
"At CEPI, I discovered that every day is an opportunity to grow, learn and create, because in the world of artificial intelligence, imagination has no limits."
Zahia now intends to undertake a master's degree in computer science. She hopes to deepen her knowledge in this field and specialize further, to make a significant contribution to the advancement of computer technology and research.
CEPI's manager, Eric Renaud, comments that "the
Centre's team is delighted to have been able to work with Zahia on the various projects. She works very well in a collaborative mode. What's more, she has learned how to integrate artificial intelligence into existing software and deliver the result to the customer."
CEPI's contribution to the development of student talent is key to Ontario's long-term economic success and growth.