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Design

20 Mitacs Globalink (GRI) research projects for Summer 2027.

1. Codesign d’une application pour l’auto-évaluation clinique en continu des patients dans leur réadaptation en psychiatrie légale

Il s’agit d’un projet de développement d’application pour permettre aux patients d’évaluer en continu leur progression dans leur réadaptation en fonction de critères tirés d’un instrument de jugement professionnel structuré en psychiatrie légale. La particularité du projet réside dans son approche de codesign. Nous souhaitons engager activement des patients et des membres de l’organisation dans le processus de création de l’application afin de s’assurer qu’elle réponde bien aux besoins de notre clientèle. Une autre particularité du projet est l’implication active de designers dans le processus de développement selon les meilleures pratiques. Nous voulons créer une application qui permet le dialogue avec l’équipe de soins et l’engagement des patients dans leur réadaptation.

Research area, student roles & skills

Research area: Dans les dernières années, je me suis intéressé au développement et l’intégration de solutions technologiques pour supporter la réadaptation des personnes vivant avec la schizophrénie en milieu carcéral et en psychiatrie légale. Mes recherches mettent de l’avant le codesign et les méthodes mixtes pragmatiques. Mes projets portent sur le développement et l’évaluation d’application, d’environnements immersifs et de solutions basées sur l’intelligence artificielle.

Student roles:
Lors de son stage, la personne étudiante s'intègrera notre équipe de recherche qui codesign une application pour permettre aux patients hospitalisés en psychiatrie légale d'auto-évaluer leur progression dans leur réadaptation. Selon le stage de développement du projet, la personne étudiante devrait avoir à évaluer la désirabilité d'un premier prototype développé dans ce projet. Concrètement, la personne étudiante devra réaliser des tests-utilisateurs avec un échantillon de 8-10 personnes à travers des entrevues et des questionnaires, elle devra évaluer différentes facettes de l'expérience de l'utilisateur (facilité d'utilisation, utilité, etc.). Elle participera au recrutement des participants ainsi qu'à la collecte et l'analyse des données de recherche quantitatives et qualitatives. Dans ce projet, la personne étudiante aura l'opportunité et la latitude nécessaire pour se familiariser avec la thématique de recherche, le milieu de stage, les activités demandées et les technologies utilisées (application, logiciel pour les bases de données, etc.).

Skills required:
Nous cherchons une personne étudiante qui a une formation qui touche au design et aux arts numériques ou encore à l’informatique. La personne étudiante doit être à l'aise d'entrer en relation avec les personnes qui présentent des troubles mentaux. Des connaissances de base en expérience utilisateur, en test-utilisateur sont des atouts.

2. Design to Combat Exploitation in Digital Marketplaces

The overarching objective of this research program is designing, building, and implementing tools that can ameliorate potential inequalities in existing platform-based digital marketplaces and building new, more inclusive,digital marketplaces. The entry of platform-based digital marketplaces has significantly reshaped labour markets. Acting as intermediaries between end-users and workers, these platforms facilitate flexible transactions for a diverse set of industries. The employment created by these platforms had been touted as potentially a liberating form of self-employment. However, these digital platforms are also creating precarious labour conditions and encouraging exploitative behaviour, especially with respect to low-wage work. This is mostly due to information asymmetry between workers and employers and the lack of safety nets, which shift risk and uncertainty onto the workers and producing market inefficiencies. However, there is little research on the design of tools that can support workers handle this new phase of digitization. This research project aims to map out design needs by delving into the lived experiences of workers on digital platforms and subsequently design digital tools for workers to decrease potential avenues of exploitation on these platforms.

Research area, student roles & skills

Research area: My research is in the field of HCI that studies the sociotechnical practices of communities to design better technologies. I specifically focus on HCI for Development (or HCI4D) which studies technology use and design in the context of marginalized populations in low-resource environments.

Student roles:
The student will work on one of the following roles:
Role 1: Qualitative research: map out the design needs by delving into the lived experiences of workers who have transitioned to digital platform work. In this role, the student will generate rich qualitative data to support design explorations and tool design.
Role 2: Design and evaluate a worker community platform that supplements existing digital marketplaces. This research will lead to the design, prototyping, and implementation of a web-based or mobile digital community platform.

Skills required:
The students should have one (or more) of the following skills:
- Qualitative Research
- Front-end or Full-stack Development
- Familiarity with database design and deployment

3. Designing a Digital Museum for Cultural Memory and Resilience

This project investigates how a digital museum can function as an inclusive, respectful, and interactive space for preserving and sharing cultural memory. The focus is on designing speculative museum experiences that acknowledge the intergenerational impacts of colonial institutions—such as residential schools—without naming or representing any specific community. The student will participate in the conceptualization and prototyping of a digital museum that centers memory, resilience, and identity through storytelling and interaction. Drawing from design justice frameworks and care-centered UX strategies, the project will explore how digital environments can hold space for remembrance, learning, and reflection without appropriating or speaking for communities. Key activities may include reviewing digital museums and archives, identifying design patterns for trauma-informed storytelling, and creating wireframes or mockups using platforms such as Figma or Miro. The student may also contribute to defining the tone, visual style, and interactive features of the museum prototype, ensuring accessibility, cultural sensitivity, and emotional resonance. This research supports broader conversations about the role of design in social justice and reconciliation. Rather than replicating museum norms, this project imagines new, experimental forms of digital exhibition that prioritize ethics, co-creation, and healing. The final outcome may include a design prototype, speculative user journeys, and visual documentation of the research process.

Research area, student roles & skills

Research area: My research explores how digital museum design can support cultural memory, identity reclamation, and healing. Drawing from user experience design, digital humanities, and decolonial methodologies, I focus on co-creating interactive environments that honor histories of loss, survival, and resilience—particularly among historically marginalized communities. The work emphasizes ethical storytelling, participatory design, and the responsible use of digital tools in the context of remembrance and reconciliation.

Student roles:
The student will collaborate on the conceptual and visual development of a speculative digital museum prototype. This includes researching precedents in digital heritage and virtual exhibitions, exploring ethical design strategies for memory work, and participating in ideation and prototyping sessions. They will assist in mapping user flows, developing wireframes, and testing interaction ideas that evoke reflection, remembrance, and connection.
A key responsibility will be designing for care—thinking critically about how digital spaces can hold stories of trauma and resilience without reproducing harm or erasure. The student will help identify narrative structures and interactive elements that respect protocols of consent, cultural boundaries, and emotional safety. There may be opportunities to explore sound, visual metaphor, and motion as part of the interface design.
Additionally, the student will participate in regular design check-ins, document their process, and contribute to a reflective journal or project blog. They will be encouraged to think beyond conventional museum templates and explore new possibilities for how digital design can support cultural healing and truth-telling.
This role is ideal for someone interested in working at the intersection of technology, design, and social justice. It offers valuable experience in research-led design, cultural UX, and speculative digital futures, while contributing to a thoughtful and meaningful project that reimagines what a museum can be.

Skills required:
The student should have a background in UX/UI design, digital media, or interaction design. Experience with design tools (e.g., Figma, Miro) is an asset. A basic understanding of museum studies, cultural heritage, or decolonial design practices is helpful. Most importantly, the student must demonstrate ethical awareness, empathy, and a willingness to engage with sensitive subject matter with care and respect.

4. Designing for the Unseen: Characterizing and Detecting Bystander Opt-Out Signals in Smart Glasses Interactions

Smart glasses capable of continuously recording audio and video are transforming social interactions by making recording activities less visible. Unlike smartphones, they reduce the bodily cues that traditionally signal when recording is taking place, limiting bystanders’ ability to recognize that they are being recorded or to express their refusal. This project investigates how people interacting with a smart-glasses wearer communicate, either explicitly or implicitly, their consent or opposition to being recorded. Situated at the intersection of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and privacy research, the project adopts a research-through-design approach. It combines gesture elicitation, in situ observation, and contrastive video prototyping. The project includes three components: (1) empirically characterizing behaviors used to signal refusal to be recorded; (2) developing a proof-of-concept real-time detector of opt-out signals; and (3) comparing different signaling modalities (gestural, verbal, and hybrid). The goal is to develop design principles that support the integration of privacy-respecting mechanisms into wearable and XR devices.

Research area, student roles & skills

Research area: Prof. Pascal E. Fortin has been affiliated with the Computer Science and Mathematics Department of Université du Québec à Chicoutimi since 2022. He holds a PhD from McGill University. His main research expertise lies in human-computer interactions, with a specific focus on multisensory and physiological interaction techniques. Prof. Fortin’s current projects tackle the mechanisms of cybersickness in extended reality (XR) environments to design more comfortable, immersive systems. His work not only pushes the boundaries of interactive technology but also fosters interdisciplinary collaboration through strategic partnerships with local industries and governmental entities, driving innovation and producing tangible benefits.

Student roles:
Contribute to the literature review and study protocol preparation. Participate in data collection activities (gesture elicitation and in situ observation). Transcribe and code qualitative data. Contribute to prototype development, including keypoint detection, dataset creation, and training of a lightweight gesture classifier. Document results and participate in team meetings and the preparation of scientific communications and publications.

Skills required:
Strong interest in Human-Computer Interaction, privacy, and wearable/XR technologies. Interest in Python, MediaPipe, scikit-learn, and lightweight machine learning, with a willingness to further develop these skills. Familiarity with qualitative research methods (thematic analysis, coding; experience with NVivo is an asset). Strong organizational skills, autonomy, and ability to work collaboratively in a team.

5. Designing with Organic Biomaterials for Human-Material Interfaces

Sustainable Human-Computer Interaction (SHCI) is growing as care for the environment and life-cycle of tangible interfaces also increases. Living materials such as algae, mycelium, and food-waste are recycled to create tangible interfaces such as vases, cups and wearables. There is promise in the sustainability of a product's whole life-cycle being easily biodegradable without pressurized conditions. Seamlessly embedding electronics in interfaces is a major design goal of tangible interaction design. Biomaterials such as plants or food waste provide an interactive chemical interface that bodes well with this design goal. In this dissertation, I take a material-centered approach to explore biomaterials that are suitable natural user interfaces for dynamic interaction including an interior design interactive vase, a responsive bioclay for learning cosmology, and an embedded jewellery that repurposes stress-induced sweat to calming interface. Empirical evidence shows that tactile interactions improve learning, memory and situational awareness. These designs can be applied to calm technologies, smart home devices, interactive learning environments and overall design considerations for embedding natural user interfaces using a sustainable, tactile, low-cost, and low-computation approach.

Research area, student roles & skills

Research area: The Synaesthetic Media Lab (Synlab) explores emerging modalities in new media. Our research focuses on tangible and embodied interaction technologies that support creative practices that bridge the physical and digital worlds. Applications range across media arts, computational sciences, entertainment, and educational domains.

Student roles:
The ideal candidate is a student in Interaction Design, HCI, or Material Science with skills in:

Material Exploration: Hands-on experience in material-centred design using biodegradable composites and fabricating hybrid material–electronic probes.

Stress Testing: Ability to conduct controlled experiments assessing how biomaterials deform or degrade under environmental stimuli to evaluate commercial reliability.

User Studies: Experience executing user studies, documenting interactions qualitatively, and conducting collaborative reflection.

The student must synthesize empirical data for the ACM Digital Library and map out the material’s pre-commercial readiness.

Skills required:
The ideal candidate is a student in Interaction Design, HCI, or Material Science with skills in:
Material Exploration: Hands-on experience in material-centered design using biodegradable composites and fabricating hybrid material–electronic probes.
Stress Testing: Ability to conduct controlled experiments assessing how biomaterials deform or degrade under environmental stimuli to evaluate commercial reliability.
User Studies: Experience executing user studies, documenting interactions qualitatively, and conducting collaborative reflection.
The student must synthesize empirical data for the ACM Digital Library and map out the material’s pre-commercial readiness.

6. Developing Benchmark and Taskboard for Long-Horizon and Meta-Learning in Robotics

Real-world robot deployment requires systems capable of executing long sequences of interdependent actions and adapting prior knowledge to new but related tasks. Progress in long-horizon and meta-learning research is constrained by the lack of physical benchmarks that provide structured task sequences, shared subtask structure, and diverse evaluation metrics necessary to study these capabilities rigorously. This project develops a modular robotic taskboard designed to support systematic evaluation of long-horizon task execution and meta-learning. The platform organizes assembly tasks as a sequential stack, where tasks share common subtasks, contact interactions, and ordering dependencies. This design enables investigation of how robots accumulate and reuse experience across a progression of related tasks; capturing the compounding demands of real-world deployment more faithfully than isolated benchmarks. The student will design and fabricate modular taskboard components using CAD software and additive manufacturing resources available through the university Makerspace. Careful attention will be given to task relatedness and sequencing to ensure the platform supports both long-horizon evaluation and meta-learning transfer experiments. The platform will be integrated with an existing robot learning testbed equipped with teleoperation capabilities and multi-view RGB-D sensing. Demonstration datasets will be collected, annotated to capture task stages and subtask transitions, and used to train robot learning policies. A diverse suite of evaluation metrics will be developed, including task completion rate, subtask success, horizon length robustness, inter-task affinity, and few-shot adaptation performance, enabling rigorous comparison across learning methods. The ALOHA Stationary AI platform will serve as the primary robot hardware, with students completing laboratory safety orientation and hands-on training prior to use. The resulting taskboard, datasets, and evaluation framework will provide reusable infrastructure for advancing long-horizon and meta-learning research in robotics

Research area, student roles & skills

Research area: This research lies at the intersection of robotics, artificial intelligence, and engineering design. The focus is on robot learning methods that enable robots to acquire skills from human demonstrations and generalize across related tasks. A central challenge is the lack of physical benchmarks that support sequential multi-task evaluation and systematic study of knowledge transfer. Most existing platforms address isolated tasks and do not capture the structured dependencies present in real-world deployment. The lab develops modular taskboards, demonstration datasets, and evaluation frameworks supported by a multi-arm robot platform and multi-camera depth-sensing infrastructure.

Student roles:
The student will contribute across the full development cycle of a modular robotic taskboard benchmark for long-horizon and meta-learning research, spanning engineering design, fabrication, data collection, robot learning experiments, and performance evaluation.

The internship will begin with a review of existing robotic benchmarks with emphasis on sequential task structures, long-horizon evaluation, and meta-learning testbeds. This will inform the design of taskboard components that capture meaningful task relatedness and support structured sequential evaluation. The student will design modular components using CAD software, with deliberate attention to shared subtask structure and configurable task ordering.

Following design, components will be fabricated using 3D printing and Makerspace facilities and integrated into the laboratory's existing robot learning platform. Using teleoperation interfaces, the student will help collect demonstration trajectories across the full task sequence while recording synchronized robot states, actions, and multi-view RGB-D sensor data. Demonstrations will be annotated to identify task stages, subtask boundaries, and inter-task relationships.

Working alongside graduate researchers, the student will participate in training robot learning policies using the collected demonstrations and help design experiments targeting long-horizon execution and few-shot adaptation to new tasks. This includes preparing datasets, running experiments on university computing resources, and analyzing results across a diverse suite of metrics including subtask success rates, horizon length robustness, inter-task affinity, and few-shot generalization performance.

Trained policies will be evaluated through physical robot experiments on the ALOHA Stationary AI platform. Prior to use, the student will complete laboratory safety orientation and receive hands-on training from the supervising faculty member and a designated graduate student mentor.

Deliverables include taskboard CAD designs, fabricated hardware, annotated demonstration datasets, robot learning evaluation results across diverse metrics, and technical documentation. The student will also contribute to project reports, posters, presentations, and future conference publications.

Skills required:
The ideal candidate is enrolled in mechanical engineering, mechatronics, electrical engineering, software engineering, computer science, or a related discipline. Experience with CAD software (SolidWorks, Fusion 360, or equivalent) and Python programming is desirable, along with basic familiarity with robotics concepts. Knowledge of 3D printing, machine learning, or computer vision is an asset but not required. Strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and genuine interest in robotics and artificial intelligence are essential.

7. Development of Packaging Design Protocols for Sustainable Artifacts Shipments

This research project focuses on developing sustainable packaging design protocols for the safe transportation of cultural artifacts and heritage objects. The project will investigate packaging materials, cushioning systems, environmental conditions, and distribution hazards that may affect artifact integrity during storage and transit. Through laboratory testing, data analysis, and sustainability assessments, the research aims to establish evidence-based guidelines that enhance artifact protection while reducing packaging materials, waste generation, and environmental impacts. The outcomes will support museums, galleries, archives, and cultural institutions in adopting more sustainable and resilient artifact shipping practices.

Research area, student roles & skills

Research area: Dr. Park's research focuses on sustainable packaging systems and design, packaging distribution, life cycle assessment (LCA), packaging-product waste dynamics, and human factors in packaging. His work aims to optimize packaging performance, sustainability, and user experience through interdisciplinary research that integrates engineering, environmental assessment, and consumer-centered design. Current research areas include sustainable packaging materials, e-commerce and omnichannel distribution systems, cold-chain logistics, reusable and refillable packaging, packaging ergonomics, and the application of artificial intelligence to packaging design and optimization.

Student roles:
The student will support the research team in developing sustainable packaging solutions for the transportation and preservation of cultural artifacts. Responsibilities may include conducting literature reviews, assisting with laboratory testing and distribution simulations, collecting and analyzing experimental data, evaluating packaging materials and designs, supporting life cycle assessment activities, and contributing to the development of packaging design guidelines and research reports. The student will also participate in team meetings, assist with knowledge dissemination activities, and collaborate with researchers and industry or cultural heritage partners as required.

Skills required:
The ideal candidate will have a background in packaging, engineering, industrial design, materials science, environmental science, museum studies, or a related field. Students should possess strong analytical and problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and an interest in sustainable design and cultural heritage preservation. Experience with laboratory testing, data analysis, CAD/design software, or life cycle assessment is considered an asset but is not required. The successful candidate should be self-motivated, able to work independently and collaboratively, and willing to learn new research methods and technologies.

8. Energy Harvesting from Flow-Induced Vibration and Noise

Energy harvesting is a promising technology for building a cleaner energy future. Over the past few decades, significant efforts have been made to harvest energy from environmental sources. Nevertheless, there are still sources of wasted energy, such as flow-induced vibration and noise, that have high potential for overcoming or isolating a problem while generating a useful amount of energy. Problems associated with flow-induced vibration and noise are observed in several engineering applications, including tube bundles in heat exchangers and boilers, cascades of compressor blades, reciprocating machinery, pneumatic equipment, punch presses, and sand blasters. They have a negative impact not only on efficiency and productivity but also on health and safety. Most of the work in the literature focuses on overcoming the problems associated with flow-induced vibration and noise using either active or passive suppression techniques, while less attention is given to understanding the energy transfer from the flow field that sustains structural vibration and/or acoustic resonance. Understanding this energy transfer mechanism enables intervention in the process and more efficient energy harvesting. Therefore, the main objective of this project is to develop innovative and efficient techniques to harvest energy from flow-induced vibration and noise.

Research area, student roles & skills

Research area: My research is interdisciplinary in the broad fields of aerodynamics, acoustics, and vibration.

Student roles:
The successful candidate will work closely with my research group to develop state of the art energy harvesting devices from flow-induced vibration and noise.

Skills required:
Students are preferred to have some background in fluid mechanics.

9. High-Resolution Light-Based 3D Printed Hollow Microneedles

This project aims to develop next-generation hollow microneedle (HMN) technologies using high-resolution light-based 3D printing, an advanced microfabrication technique capable of producing complex microscale structures with exceptional precision. HMNs are tiny needle-like structures with internal channels that can painlessly penetrate the outer layer of the skin to extract or deliver fluids, enabling minimally invasive health monitoring and diagnostics. Students will investigate the design, fabrication, and characterization of HMN arrays for wearable and point-of-care healthcare applications. Research activities may include computational design and optimization of HMN geometries, fabrication using high-resolution light-based 3D printing systems, mechanical and structural characterization, and assessment of fluid transport and extraction performance. The project will provide hands-on experience in additive manufacturing, microsystems engineering, and biomedical device development, while exposing students to interdisciplinary research at the interface of advanced manufacturing and healthcare technologies. The outcomes of this work may contribute to the development of next-generation wearable diagnostic platforms for continuous and minimally invasive physiological monitoring.

Research area, student roles & skills

Research area: Light-based additive manufacturing (3D printing) of microsystems and microfluidic biomedical devices.

Student roles:
The student will play a central role in the execution of the research project and will be actively involved in all major stages of the research process, from concept development to experimental validation and dissemination of results. Working under the supervision of the research team, the student will contribute to the design and optimization of hollow microneedle structures using CAD software and engineering design principles. The student will investigate how geometric parameters such as needle height, tip shape, wall thickness, channel dimensions, and array configurations influence mechanical performance and fluid extraction capabilities.

A significant portion of the student's responsibilities will involve the fabrication of microneedle devices using high-resolution light-based 3D printing systems. This includes preparing digital models, optimizing printing parameters, conducting post-processing procedures, and troubleshooting fabrication challenges to achieve high-quality microscale structures. The student will gain practical experience operating advanced manufacturing equipment and implementing quality-control procedures to ensure reproducible device fabrication.

The student will also conduct experimental characterization of fabricated microneedles. Tasks may include dimensional analysis using microscopy techniques, mechanical testing to evaluate structural integrity and skin penetration performance, and fluidic experiments to assess liquid transport and extraction efficiency. The student will be responsible for collecting, organizing, and analyzing experimental data using appropriate statistical and engineering methods.

In addition, the student will participate in literature reviews to identify current challenges and emerging opportunities in microneedle technologies and wearable diagnostics. The student will contribute to research discussions, help develop experimental plans, and collaborate with team members from diverse engineering and biomedical backgrounds. Regular documentation of research activities through laboratory notebooks, technical reports, and progress presentations will be expected.
The student will also assist in preparing research outputs, including conference presentations, posters, and journal manuscripts. Through these activities, the student will develop valuable skills in scientific communication, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Skills required:
The ideal student should have a background in mechanical engineering, biomedical engineering, materials science, chemistry, manufacturing engineering, or a related discipline. Familiarity with computer-aided design (CAD), 3D printing technologies, and basic laboratory practices is desirable. Experience with microfabrication, 3D printing materials, fluid mechanics, and experimental characterization techniques would be considered an asset but is not required. Students should possess strong analytical and problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and the ability to work independently as well as collaboratively within a multidisciplinary research team. Good written and verbal communication skills are important for documenting research findings and presenting results.

10. Innovative interfaces for vibration authoring

Vibrotactile devices are increasingly capable of producing rich and complex vibration patterns. The Apple Watch, for example, can produce a variety of vibrotactile icons that indicate different events, such as alarms and notifications. Designers currently have few tools to create such vibrotactile effects. In this project, we will experiment with novel interfaces to create complex vibrotactile effects. We will experiment with different input technologies to control various parameters of a vibrotactile pattern, much like a musical instrument controls sounds. This could for example include using our voice (microphone), the movement of our body (kinect, leap motion, or other motion tracking), or our interactions with an object or instrument.

Research area, student roles & skills

Research area: My work is at the intersection of haptic technologies and human-computer interaction (HCI). I explore how the user experience (UX) of human-computer interfaces can be improved by introducing rich tactile feedback. I develop and experiment with advanced haptic interfaces that stimulate the sense of touch by vibrations, ultrasounds, textures, or other means. I prototype interfaces that use the sense of touch and evaluate them experimentally with users. I’m interested in a wide range of applications including wearable computing, augmented reality, virtual reality, and the Internet of Things (IoT).

Student roles:
You will lead the project, with supervision and help from other members of the HUX lab. Your role will be to (1) identify possible interaction methods with a review of the literature and brainstorms and (2) prototype and experiment with the most promising interaction methods to control vibration parameters.

Skills required:
The ideal candidate would have experience in the development of interactive software and the use of input devices, or a strong interest to develop skills in those areas. Experience in music performance, dance, or other forms of expression could be an asset. Experience with hardware prototyping platforms such as Arduino would also be beneficial.

11. Integration of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Aeroacoustics

In aeroacoustics, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) techniques has revolutionized the analysis and prediction of complex noise phenomena in aerospace applications. The primary objective of this project is to employ AI and ML techniques to predict flow-induced noise from various aircraft components and subsequently compare these predictions with experimental measurements. Through this approach, we aim to enhance our understanding of aerodynamic noise generation and improve the accuracy of noise prediction methodologies in aerospace engineering.

Research area, student roles & skills

Research area: My research is interdisciplinary in the broad fields of aerodynamics, acoustics, and vibration.

Student roles:
The successful intern will collaborate with a dedicated team of enthusiastic graduate and undergraduate students in the area of aeroacoustics.

Skills required:
Background in mathematical modeling, including the use of AI and ML techniques, is preferred.
Background in aerodynamics is preferred.

12. Interface design for Generative Music Plugin

For over a decade, the Metacreation Lab for Creative AI has been actively researching a variety of music generative systems. You role will be to design, implement and release a music generation plugin wrapping one of our recent MIDI-music generation model.

Research area, student roles & skills

Research area: As a faculty in arts and technology, I am conducting both a scientific and artistic research agenda. The team at the Metacreation Lab focuses on building deeper theories for endowing machines with autonomous behaviours, with a focus on creative and artistic applications. The team gathers scientists, theorists, musicians, composer, and artists to advance the state of the art in generative systems that accomplish creative tasks Creative AI systems in two contexts: computer-assisted creativity, and online generative systems. Further information available here: - https://metacreation.net/ - http://philippepasquier.net/

Student roles:
Design and coding under the direction of Philippe Pasquier.

Skills required:
interface designer: to help us research how to interface AI and ML creative system OR
Web design and Web programming

13. Mobile visualization of running activity

While the field of data visualization has made tremendous progress regarding how to best represent data on computer screens, large screens, and wall screens, the research community knows little regarding how to best visualize data on very small screens. While smartphones, smartwatches and other personal, wearable devices are becoming ubiquitous, we need to better understand how to represent data on these small displays, how people can interact with these visualizations, and in which contexts they use these devices and visualizations. In this research project you will look at the particular case of visualizing sports data on personal wearable devices. Specifically, you will research how to enhance the experience of runners through appropriate real-time data representations of performances. Running, like many other competitive activities, is an intense activity in which one cannot rely on complete focus and full cognitive abilities from the runner; arms are moving at a fast pace; and span of attention is very short. In this particular context, standard guidelines for designing visualizations likely do not apply. You will apply the human-centered design process to uncover the needs of runners in terms of visualization on their small devices, design prototypes of visualization software for such devices, and study these prototypes. You will synthetize the results, which may lead to a publication.

Research area, student roles & skills

Research area: I conduct research in human-computer interaction and information visualization, with emphasis on designing and studying new interactions for visualizations, in understanding how people may make use of and interact with visualizations in their everyday lives, and in visualization beyond the desktop such as mobile and physical visualization.

Student roles:
You will work on this project in close collaboration with a Masters student in the research group, working on this topic. You will be involved with all the following aspects of the projects:

- Review the literature about personal data visualization and mobile data visualization, as well as visualization of fitness trackers.

- Apply the human-centered design process to iteratively design and refine prototypes for visualizing personal fitness tracker data while running (this includes understanding the target users, establishing design requirements, prototyping solutions, evaluating these solutions, and iterating).

- Design and conduct studies. This includes writing interview guides and ethics applications, designing and administering surveys and questionnaires; interviews and field deployment.

- Analyze qualitative data collected through these studies and summarize the findings into a report and possibly a research publication.

In addition:

- You will be working in a collaborative environment with Masters and PhD students working on related topics. As a result, you will be able to collaborate, get help, and help other students in their research projects.

- You will participate in weekly group meetings with the research lab and you will participate in the lab activities.

- You will meet one-on-one with me, weekly, for a minimum of half an hour.

Skills required:
Required skills include:
- A strong taste for design
- English proficiency, both written and spoken (although I am French myself, my research group communicates in English)
- A genuine interest in research
- Good communication and interpersonal skills
- Good programming skills

Desirable background include:
- Be yourself a runner
- Experience with designing and conducting studies involving human participants

14. SWAN - CLIMATE: Community Engaged Research on Mobility and Participation of Older Adults and People with Disabilities in Urban Neighbourhoods

Many older adults and persons with disabilities experience difficulties accessing urban environments, which in turn reduces their quality of life. The overarching goal of our research project is to address community-driven research questions to create, implement, and evaluate evidenced-based interventions and policies to increase community mobility, access, and participation for older adults and people with disabilities. Currently, our research team is actively working with diverse stakeholders to collect and assess data using the Stakeholders Walkability and Wheelability Audit in Neighbourhoods (SWAN) tool. The current focus of our project is on mobility and participation at the intersection of extreme climate conditions. SWAN-Climate builds on the existing SWAN (Stakeholders’ Walkability/Wheelability Audit in Neighbourhoods) research, which engages older adults and people with disabilities as co-researchers in evaluating how pedestrian environments support or limit mobility and participation. SWAN-Climate adds a new layer by exploring how extreme weather conditions, such as heat, rain, and snow, influence mobility and access to community life for older adults with disabilities.This project looks at how older adults with disabilities adapt their movement and decision-making in response to environmental barriers or facilitators. It asks how features like sidewalks, crossings, green spaces, and public buildings affect people’s safety and accessibility under extreme weather conditions. Older adults with mobility, sensory, or cognitive challenges work closely with the research team to design and test data collection tools, share experiences, and reflect on neighbourhood conditions. The study uses a mixed-methods approach. GIS-based mapping will be used to identify areas of high heat exposure or deprivation to support site selection and provide environmental context. Walk-along interviews and optional photo-elicitation will allow participants to document their experiences of moving through their neighbourhoods in various weather conditions, with a micro-scale environmental audits to assess the quality and climate responsiveness of pedestrian infrastructure.

Research area, student roles & skills

Research area: My specialized research area focuses on environmental gerontology with special interests in aging, health and the built environment, aging in place, age friendly communities, accessibility to public indoor and outdoor spaces, mobility, and social participation of older adults and persons with disability. Further, my Social Science and Humanities Research Council funded research primarily adopts a community engaged approach using both quantitative and qualitative methods. My research has led to the building of successful municipal and community organization partnerships as well as the implementation of both short and long-term accessibility solutions at the neighbourhood level.

Student roles:
The student will be involved in data collection, data management and analysis, project support and administration, and report and manuscript writing. Data collection may include , walk along semi-structured interviews, environmental audits and photo eliciation Students will assist in literature searches for the purpose of completing reviews, reports, and presentations. On this project, students will collaborate with other senior level graduate students, as well as other undergraduate and volunteer students.

EMPIRICAL AND GRAY LITERATURE REVIEWS:
• Literature searches including developing and conducting database searches as well as use of citation management software
• Data extraction and charting in Microsoft Word/Excel/Teams and NVivo
• Collation of data and developing summaries with data (text and infographics)
• Conduct and assist with data analysis for informal and formal reviews following delineated protocols
• Help with manuscript development, revision, and submission to journals

PARTICIPANT RECRUITMENT, DATA COLLECTION, MANAGEMENT AND ANALYSIS
• Assist with organization of stakeholder and partner meetings
• Assist with participant recruitment and data collection
• Follow all study protocols for data collection including storage and management of research data and documents
• Help with data analysis and creation of visualizations of findings/results

KNOWLEDGE MOBILIZATION AND COMMUNICATION:
• Support the creation and maintenance of communications plan for KM activities
• Create content for KM activities (e.g., blog posts, infographics) using various social media platforms (e.g., Instagram)
• Help with tracking of various KM activities

ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT

• Assist with organizing and updating files in Microsoft teams
• Attend weekly team meetings

ADDITIONAL DESIRED SKILLS:
• Ability to work in other languages (spoken/writing skills). Target languages include:
- Chinese (Mandarin/Cantonese)

Skills required:
Students should possess basic research methods skills in qualitative and/or quantitative research. Specifically, students should have experience with data entry, cleaning, transcription, and conducting semi-structured interviews and qualitative analysis as they will be participating in data management and analysis activities (e.g., Microsoft Excel/Word). Applicants will require strong English skills (both verbal and written).Further, they should have a working knowledge of presentation software/supports (e.g., PowerPoint). Knowledge about graphic design software (e.g., Canva, Illustrator) is seen as a plus. The students should have good communications the skills to work with older adults and people with disabilities.

15. Small-scale flexible manufacturing system

The Mechanical Engineering undergraduate robotics lab at UNB has five commercial robots (four from ABB and one from Kuka) as well as many custom-built components (conveyors, vision system, ASRS, etc.). The overall goal of the project is to combine all components into a small-scale simulated Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS). Most of the lab components are functional and are regularly used in labs every fall. However, there are a couple that still need to be finished and tested (e.g., the Automated Storage and Retrieval System). Most importantly, all elements are to be integrated into a FMS that would allow for us to develop labs that simulate what is often done in industry. To this end, the intern would need to become familiar with each of the major components, test each of them independently, investigate all the necessary communication protocols, and develop standard procedures to integrate all elements into a single system.

Research area, student roles & skills

Research area: At the Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory we concentrate on the novel design of manipulators. We also manage the undergraduate robotics lab. The faculty has invested significantly in the undergraduate lab and we are now ready to put together a flexible manufacturing system. This system will integrate all existing components in the lab which include four serial manipulators, one parallel robots, a vision systems, a conveyor system, and an Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS).

Student roles:
The student will be in charge of detailed design, construction and testing of modules for the lab facility. Tasks will include modelling in CAD software, rapid prototyping, mechanical fabrication, assembly, determining specifications of purchased items, ordering items, implementing actuators and sensors, testing and documentation.

The student will build on the work currently underway at the Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory at UNB.

Skills required:
The student should be a senior undergraduate students or masters student in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering or related discipline. The successful candidate would have excellent working knowledge of computer aided design (CAD), mechanical design as well as traditional fabrication techniques.

The candidate should also have working knowledge in the implementation of electromechanical devices including motors, sensors, control systems and related hardware (mechatronics).

16. Smart Glasses for physical Activities

In this research project you will design, implement and evaluate interfaces for smart glasses heads-up displays in the context of physical activities. A typical scenario is using smart glasses to access performance data while performing a workout, for example accessing heart rate, speed, effort or distance data when running, cycling, or in the gym. Smart glasses offer new opportunities to display information directly in the field of view instead of having to look down to read information on a wearable such as a smartwatch, yet, we lack guidelines for designing for those new devices. In addition, interacting with the interfaces shown on such devices requires new modes and modalities of interaction (e.g., speech, micro-gestures) whose design must consider the physical, mental and social constraints of conducting such physical activities.You will apply the human-centered design process to establish needs and goals, design and implement prototype interfaces, and study these prototypes. You will synthetize the results, which may lead to a publication.

Research area, student roles & skills

Research area: I conduct research in human-computer interaction and information visualization, with emphasis on designing and studying new interactions for visualizations, in understanding how people may make use of and interact with visualizations in their everyday lives, and in visualization beyond the desktop such as mobile and physical visualization.

Student roles:
You will work on this project in close collaboration with a Masters student in the research group, working on this topic. You will be involved with all the following aspects of the projects:

- Review the literature.

- Apply the human-centered design process to iteratively design and refine prototypes (this includes understanding the target users, establishing design requirements, prototyping solutions, evaluating these solutions, and iterating).

- Design and conduct studies. This includes completing the TCPS2, designing and administering surveys and questionnaires; interviews and field deployment.

- Analyze quantitative and qualitative data collected through these studies and summarize the findings into a report and possibly a research publication.

In addition:

- You will be working in a collaborative environment with Masters and PhD students working on related topics. As a result, you will be able to collaborate, get help, and help other students in their research projects.

- You will participate in weekly group meetings with the research lab and you will participate in the lab activities.

- You will meet one-on-one with me, weekly, for a minimum of half an hour.

Skills required:
Required skills include:
- A strong taste for design
- English proficiency, both written and spoken (although I am French myself, my research group communicates in English)
- A genuine interest in research
- Good communication and interpersonal skills
- Good programming skills

Desirable background include:
- Experience with designing and conducting studies involving human participants

17. Spiking Neural Network (SNN)-Based AI for CSI-Driven Contactless Fall Detection

This project aims to develop a device-free, contactless fall detection system leveraging WiFi sensing and neuromorphic computing principles. It exploits variations in the wireless propagation environment captured through Channel State Information (CSI), which encodes fine-grained amplitude and phase changes induced by human motion. Unlike camera-based or wearable solutions, this approach preserves privacy and operates in non-line-of-sight conditions, making it suitable for home monitoring and assisted living environments. The raw CSI streams are first preprocessed to remove noise, multipath interference, and environmental drift, and then transformed into temporally meaningful features representing motion dynamics. These features are subsequently encoded into spike trains compatible with Spiking Neural Networks, enabling event-driven computation that mimics biological neural systems. The SNN architecture is trained to distinguish normal activities such as walking, sitting, and bending from abnormal high-impact events corresponding to falls. Learning can be performed using supervised or surrogate-gradient methods to handle non-differentiable spike functions. The system emphasizes low-power inference, making it suitable for embedded edge deployment. Additionally, temporal sparsity of spikes reduces computational overhead while maintaining high sensitivity to sudden motion transitions. Performance is evaluated in terms of detection accuracy, latency, robustness to environmental changes, and false alarm rate. The final goal is to create a scalable, intelligent sensing framework capable of real-time fall detection in smart homes, hospitals, and elderly care facilities, while integrating seamlessly with wireless communication infrastructure and future IoT-enabled healthcare systems, with emphasis on dataset generalization, cross-environment robustness, and real-world deployment feasibility across heterogeneous indoor environments under varying traffic and interference conditions in real time.

Research area, student roles & skills

Research area: This project lies at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI), neuromorphic engineering, CMOS integrated systems, MEMS sensing technologies, and wireless signal processing, targeting next-generation intelligent sensing platforms. It utilizes WiFi Channel State Information (CSI) as a privacy-preserving, contactless sensing method capable of capturing subtle human movements through wireless channel variations. The system integrates Spiking Neural Networks (SNNs), a neuromorphic AI approach that enables event-driven and energy-efficient computation. The research focuses on hardware–algorithm co-design, optimizing AI models not only for accuracy but also for low-power operation compatible with CMOS-based edge devices and potentially MEMS or RF front-end integration.

Student roles:
The student will contribute to the project by developing a complete end-to-end intelligent sensing pipeline, starting with understanding and processing CSI data to extract meaningful features related to human motion, followed by designing and implementing both a baseline Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and a Spiking Neural Network (SNN) for fall detection. The work includes transforming continuous CSI signals into spike-based representations, training and evaluating neuromorphic models, and analyzing performance in terms of accuracy, latency, and computational efficiency. In parallel, the student will adopt a hardware-aware perspective, considering constraints typical of CMOS-based embedded systems and exploring lightweight deployment strategies, with possible interaction with MEMS-based or embedded acquisition platforms. The project culminates in a comparative study between conventional and neuromorphic AI approaches, supported by simulations or prototype implementation, along with clear documentation and presentation of the results.

Skills required:
We are looking for a student with a strong background in computer engineering, or a related field, with solid knowledge of wireless communication systems. Understanding of radio propagation and metrics such as (CSI) is desirable. Prior experience in machine learning is an important asset. Familiarity with biologically inspired neural architectures such as (SNNs) is a plus but can be developed during the project. The candidate should have high programming skills (Python required, MATLAB preferred). Exposure to embedded systems or IoT platforms is also beneficial. Overall, we are seeking a motivated and independent student capable of working across interdisciplinary.

18. Visualizing Interaction Design Futures: Cinematic Research-Creation as an Alternative Research Outcome (ARO) for the Homeware Lab

This project operates at the critical intersection of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), design ethnography, and knowledge mobilization. The Homeware Lab at SFU investigates the sociological, material, and speculative dimensions of digital consumerism to propose rich, inclusive, and socially just sociotechnical futures. While traditional academic distribution rely heavily on text-based research articles, this initiative explores the integration of Alternative Research Outcomes (AROs) through the medium of practice-based cinematic creation. The central objective of this 12-week research internship is to systematically translate abstract, multidisciplinary interaction design concepts (spanning digital fabrication, ubiquitous computing, and responsive environments) into an engaging, high-end public-facing mini-documentary. The intern will analyze the ongoing ethnographic and speculative work within the Homeware Lab, deploying documentary poetics as an active qualitative research method to visualize and assess the social implications of technological artifact design. This practice-based methodology serves to broaden the epistemological borders of HCI, ensuring that design outcomes can actively catalyze public debate and reach non-specialist audiences outside the academic paywall.

Research area, student roles & skills

Research area: Our research applies methods and advanced expertise in human-computer interaction, design, computer science, ubiquitous computing, digital fabrication, STS, and the social sciences to create technologies that connect domestic artifacts with embedded and networked software and hardware. We develop alternatives to normative values driving digital consumerism through designing technologies that offer new possibilities. We develop innovative research and design strategies aimed at making technological objects more valued and enduring parts of everyday life that evolve over time. Rather than merely solving problems, our designs often create new opportunities, encouraging alternative perspectives on life and our environments through interpretation and reflection.

Student roles:
The selected Globalink intern will be fully embedded into the multidisciplinary ecosystem of the Homeware Lab, undertaking complete creative and technical responsibility for the execution of the cinematic ARO. The student's duties are structured across three consecutive phases over the 12-week tenure:

● Phase 1: Ethnographic Immersion & Pre-Production (Weeks 1–4): The intern will conduct initial qualitative observation within the lab, engaging with peer researchers, reviewing design materials, and participating in ongoing fabrication discussions. Responsibilities include mapping key research narratives, defining the visual storytelling strategy, and drafting scripts/storyboards for the video essay.
● Phase 2: Principal Photography & Field Production (Weeks 5–8): The student will direct and execute the cinematography for the project. This involves conducting camera operation, managing lightning configurations, recording high-fidelity field audio, and conducting qualitative on-camera interviews with researchers regarding their interactive prototypes.
● Phase 3: Post-Production & Knowledge Mobilization Analysis (Weeks 9–12): The intern will spearhead the post-production workflow, including video editing, pacing adjustments, sound design, and color grading. Concurrently, the student will engage in a reflexive analysis of the technical making process, documenting the epistemological benefits and pedagogical challenges of utilizing filmmaking as a tool for empirical narrative mobilization in design studies.

Skills required:
This project is open to a range of backgrounds and skills, but generally it would be necessary for the student to have skills in filmmaking, photography, and visual design. Expertise with ethnography or qualitative interviews would be a plus.

19. Visualizing haptic and tactile feedback

Explaining the nature and meaning of haptic feedback using audio-visual media is often necessary but notoriously difficult. An online manual, for example, may need to explain the vibration patterns associated with different notifications on a smartwatch (e.g., “turn left” and “turn right” signals). Similarly, a television commercial may need to advertise the advanced vibration features of a new smartphone. As haptics researchers, we also face this challenge when trying to communicate haptic features in scientific publications such as conference papers and accompanying videos. Efficiently communicating haptic feedback in an audio-visual representation is a serious challenge that hasn’t been studied systematically to date. This project will explore how haptic feedback can be efficiently communicated in an audio-visual form. We will first survey how this challenge has been met in the past by looking at scientific papers, online tutorials, user manuals, advertisements and other audio-visual documents in which haptic features are communicated. We will then develop and experimentally evaluate different solutions to represent haptic features in audio-visual form. We will consider different types of haptic feedback, such as vibrations, forces, mid-air haptics (e.g., ultrahaptics.com), or surface haptics (e.g., tanvas.com). We will also consider different application domains, such as online tutorials and manuals, user interfaces (e.g., authoring tools for haptic feedback), advertising, or scientific publications. We will finally consider different means of display, such as a computer monitor, a mobile device, or an augmented reality display. The solutions that we envision will be prototyped and evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively with the intended users. This is an exciting new research direction for my research group. I’m hoping that this first foray into this topic will lead to a scientific publication and serve as the basis for a larger research program.

Research area, student roles & skills

Research area: My work is at the intersection of haptic technologies and human-computer interaction (HCI). I explore how the user experience (UX) of human-computer interfaces can be improved by introducing rich tactile feedback. I develop and experiment with advanced haptic interfaces that stimulate the sense of touch by vibrations, ultrasounds, textures, or other means. I prototype interfaces that use the sense of touch and evaluate them experimentally with users. I’m interested in a wide range of applications including wearable computing, augmented reality, virtual reality, and the Internet of Things (IoT).

Student roles:
You will lead all aspects of this project, under the supervision of Prof. Levesque. You will learn from and collaborate with other students in the research group who are working on other haptics-related projects.

You will first familiarise yourself with the different types of haptic feedback available on the market and in research labs. You will have the opportunity to experiment hands-on with several haptic devices that are available in the research group, including vibrotactile devices, a mid-air haptic display by UltraHaptics, a force-feedback device by Haply, and electrovibration devices that create textures on surfaces. You will also learn about other types of haptic devices from directed readings.

You will then explore the different ways in which haptic feedback could be represented audio-visually. To do so, you will first conduct a survey of prior audio-visual representations of haptic features in scientific papers, advertising, online tutorials, and other audio-visual documents. This could lead to a comprehensive catalog of prior art that would likely be publishable. You will also conduct brainstorms and other ideation activities to generate more ideas. You will then select the most promising ideas for further exploration.

You will finally develop and prototype the most promising ideas. This could involve, for example, preparing several representations of a small set of vibration patterns such as pictograms, animations, and audio clips. You will then run experiments to validate these solutions and understand their advantages and disadvantages in different contexts, such as advertising or online tutorials. A typical experiment, for example, could compare how well participants have understood haptics-related information in an online tutorial depending on the audio-visual representation used.

Skills required:
This project is multidisciplinary and will be adapted to the skills and background of any student who can make a significant contribution to it. An ideal candidate would have the technical skills required to learn about haptic devices and program for them, and therefore a background in software, electrical or mechanical engineering, computer science or a related discipline. An ideal candidate would also have some experience or a strong interest in human-computer interaction, visualization, design or related disciplines. Candidates without a strong technical background are encouraged to apply and will be paired with more technical graduate students as needed.

20. “Black-Focused Interactive-Repository for Actionable Voices and Engagement (BiRAVE) – User-Centered Experience of an Online Platform

The movement ignited by the tragic death of George Floyd has catalyzed the broader "Black Lives Matter" movement, prompting the development of numerous initiatives aimed at improving the lives of Black individuals across various sectors, including healthcare. Notable efforts such as “A Black Health Plan for Ontario” and “Black Equity in Alberta Rainforest Initiatives” have emerged to address health and social inequities in different regions of Canada. However, these initiatives risk becoming outdated or forgotten, as the information informing their ongoing revision must be dynamic and continuously responsive to the evolving socio-political landscape. To address this challenge, there is a critical need for an online, interactive platform that facilitates real-time reporting and ongoing discussion of health and social inequities experienced by Black communities. Many individuals express frustration over their repeated efforts to report systemic inequities, which are often compounded by systemic racism embedded within health and social care systems. Our team aims to co-develop a structural prototype for such a platform, named the “Black-Focused Repository for Interactive - Actionable Voices and Engagement” (BiRAVE). BiRAVE will feature three integrated portals: a reporting portal for documenting unmet care needs, a recommendations and solutions portal for sharing experiential and evidence-based solutions, and an engagement portal to foster meaningful public participation. Currently, we are in the early stages of developing the core design and coding for this project. The incoming GRI student will work within an interdisciplinary team comprising researchers from health, social sciences, engineering, human-centered design, and computer science. The student will collaborate with Black older adults, family members, healthcare/social care workers, and policymakers to co-develop the initial design and prototype of BiRAVE, ensuring it is rooted in community needs and perspectives.

Research area, student roles & skills

Research area: Another aspect of my research focuses on health equity. This interdisciplinary project intersects technology, design, and health to develop a platform aimed at enhancing health equity among the aging population in Canada.

Student roles:
The student’s role in this project is to actively participate in co-developing the initial design and prototype of the BiRAVE platform. This includes engaging with community members, such as Black older adults, family members, and care workers, to gather input and ensure the platform reflects their needs and perspectives. The student will assist in conducting user research, creating wireframes and prototypes, and documenting design processes. In the design phase, the student will contribute to developing wireframes, mockups, and prototypes of the platform’s different portals—such as the reporting portal, solutions portal, and engagement portal—using design tools like Figma or Adobe XD. They will participate in user testing sessions, gather feedback from community partners, and iteratively refine the platform based on these insights. Additionally, they will collaborate with interdisciplinary team members to refine the platform’s features, contribute to community engagement activities, and help ensure that the final product is culturally relevant, accessible, and user-centered.

Skills required:
The ideal intern should possess strong interdisciplinary collaboration skills, including experience in user-centered design, qualitative research, and community engagement. Background in health sciences, social sciences, engineering, or human-computer interaction is preferred. Proficiency in digital tools such as wireframing, prototyping, and basic coding (e.g., HTML, CSS, or JavaScript) is beneficial. Excellent communication and active listening skills are essential for meaningful community involvement. Ability to work collaboratively within diverse teams, adapt to evolving project needs, and demonstrate cultural sensitivity and ethical awareness is critical. A passion for social justice, health equity, and community-driven solutions is highly valued.