Events

In celebration of the International Women in Engineering Day, the IEEE Communication Society and the IEEE Women in Engineering Society are organizing “Moving the dial, Women in STEM Panel”. In this panel, we will listen to four powerful models to women in STEM Dr. Hina Tabassum, York University Dr. Sahar Azad, University of Waterloo Dr. Amina Hussein, University of Alberta Dr. Shurui Zhou, University of Toronto Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/317339

In this talk, we intend to provide a brief overview of electromagnetic selective surfaces/structures (EMSS). According to the properties of an incident electromagnetic wave, EMSS can be divided into four categories: frequency-selective structure (FSS), polarization-selective surface (PSS), angle-selective surface (ASS), and energy-selective surface (ESS). Recent developments and advances in the design of EMSS will also be briefly introduced. Finally, future opportunities in the areas of the design and analysis of EMSS will be suggested. Speaker(s): Prof. Zhongxiang Shen , Room: 1230, Bldg: Bahen Centre for Information Technology, 40 St George St, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/316544

Please join us for an upcoming talk on Jul 06, 2-3pm (Eastern Time) by Prof. Emily Porter titled "Microwave Medical Technologies: Foundations and Clinical Applications," as part of the 2021-2022 IEEE AP-S seminar series. Abstract: Microwave medical technologies have promising potential for applications spanning health monitoring, detection and diagnosis of disease, and even treatment. These technologies are low-cost, non-/minimally-invasive, non-ionizing, safe and well-tolerated, and can be made wearable or portable. In this talk, the motivation and basic foundations of microwave techniques are discussed, followed by the challenges of designing high quality basic research to support such medical device development. Key factors influencing the design and development of next generation microwave medical devices will be discussed. In particular, the difficulties faced when measuring and reporting the dielectric properties of biological tissues are emphasised, focusing on the importance of achieving accurate and representative measurements. Promising microwave-based medical technologies designed to address high-priority clinical needs will be highlighted. Lastly, proposed future activities in this area will be discussed. About Speaker: Dr. Emily Porter is an Assistant Professor with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, where she is associated with both the bioECE and Electromagnetics & Acoustics research areas. Dr. Porter was granted her Ph.D. in 2015 from McGill University, Montreal, Canada. She also has an M.Eng. and a B.Eng. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, completed in 2008 and 2010, respectively. More recently, Dr. Porter was an NSERC Postdoctoral Fellow and then an EU Marie-Curie Research Fellow with the Translational Medical Device Laboratory at National University of Ireland Galway, from 2015-2019. In 2021, she was awared the IEEE Lot Shafai Mid-Career Distinguished Achievement Award for her contributions to microwave medical technologies, standardizing the methodology for measuring the dielectric properties of biological tissues, and advocating for women in engineering. Her research interests lie in applied electromagnetics, and particularly aimed at developing electromagnetic (EM)-based solutions with applications in diagnostic, therapeutic, supportive or assistive medical technologies. Speaker(s): Emily Porter, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/317251

Dr. Antonio Valderrabano-Gonzalez & Dr. Carlos Eduardo Castañeda have accepted to give a talk on their research interest areas while visiting Ontario Tech University. Speaker(s): Antonio Valderrabano-Gonzalez, Carlos Eduardo Castañeda Ontario Tech University, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/318388

The extension of power grid interconnection with an increased amount of power flow control, the long-distance transmission, and the integration of large blocks of wind, solar and hydro powers all call for the accelerated development of high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission. Despite the opportunities such as lower power loss, higher capacity for a fixed corridor, fully controllable power flow, better transmission and stabilization capabilities between non-synchronized AC power systems, and no length restriction because of free reactive power compensation, there are still significant technical challenges for HVDC cabling systems. The electric field distribution under DC voltage in the cylindrical cable insulation initiates with the Laplacian electric field distribution; however, the thermal gradient (TG) across the insulation and the change of the electrical conductivity because of its temperature dependence under loading conditions will lead to the phenomenon of electric field inversion across the dielectric. In addition, the electric field distribution across a DC cable insulation is affected and often distorted by the accumulation of space charge. Therefore, controlled electrical conductivity and highly suppressed space charge accumulation are desired for tailoring the electric field across the cable insulation under DC. Full characterization and detailed understanding of these properties as well as their correlation may bring the ability to engineer needed dielectric properties for using as DC cable insulation. With respect to implications for practical material design, the study demonstrates that a polymer material with activation energies in the range of 0.4 to 0.5 eV with relatively high trap density can be suitable for HVDC cable insulation. The mass-impregnated (MI) insulations have been used traditionally for DC cabling systems with line-commutated converter (LCC) schemes. The MI insulations produced by a lapping process could be considered as a layered composite structure with excellent performance under polarity reversal condition which is essential for changing the direction of power flow in LCC systems. Compared with MI insulation cables, polymeric insulations such as crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE) insulations are lighter, less expensive, and less harmful to the environment compared with MI insulation cables and can be manufactured by continuous extrusion process and conveniently extended during installation by oil-free pre-molded joints. However, DC cables with XLPE insulation are only applicable for the voltage source converter (VSC) systems. Therefore, there still exists the need for insulation with the advantages of both MI and polymeric insulations, i.e., an extrudable insulation that is compatible with polarity reversal. A model DC material based on the ethylene propylene rubber (EPR) incorporated with 2D inorganic nanoclays is proposed. The DC electrical properties of the proposed material show large improvement in space charge suppression, controlled electrical conductivity and consequently more uniform electric field distribution. Microstructure studies suggest the uniform and oriented distribution of 2D nanoclay particles in EPR matrix causes a desired trap distribution with high density of shallow traps due to the presence of a high interfacial area between polymer chains and nanoclay particles. The macroscopic effect of that is a significant reduction of activation energy which contributes to controlling the charge transport and suppressing the space charge accumulation in the composite dielectrics. Results of the thermally stimulated depolarization current spectra of the samples are in good agreement with the predicted trap distribution based on the experimental results and morphological study. Co-sponsored by: IEEE DEIS M&C Co-chair - Jim Guo Speaker(s): Mohamadreza , Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/318272

IEEE Canada Region and Toronto Section Industry Relations Committees are proudly presenting you with a lunchtime event organized by Borealis AI. Artificial Intelligence provokes creativity, innovation, and technological progress. However, fairness, privacy, and security are legitimate concerns companies face when developing AI products. Responsible AI is an emerging area of AI governance, and the use of the word responsible covers both ethics and standardization. This LinkedIn Live event will address the challenges and the steps Borealis AI is taking to implement AI ethically and responsibly. Panelists Dominique Payette, Lead, Responsible AI, Chris Srinivasa, Sr. Research Lead, and Alex Scott, Group BD, will share their insights on how everyone from business executives to developers can enable a more responsible adoption of AI technology. Check out Borealis AI's responsible AI model validation series here: https://bit.ly/3rOyglN. Learn about Borealis AI RESPECT AI online hub, bringing open-source research code, tutorials, academic research, and lectures to the AI community, helping to make ethical AI available to all: https://www.borealisai.com/en/applying-ai/respect-ai/ Co-sponsored by: Borealis AI Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/318933

Microgrids integrating RES and ESS are increasingly being deployed across the world. Isolated and grid connected microgrids require control and protection systems to ensure optimal power sharing, storage management, maintaining required power quality, stability, resiliency and reliability of supply. The main focus of an ongoing Indo-US joint project ‘UI-ASSIST’, involving 15 consortia partners from US and India, is to develop models including pilot demonstrations for future smart distribution networks integrating RES, ESS and microgrids. This talk will briefly discuss the technical details and challenges faced in setting up these pilots. Speaker(s): Dr. Suresh Chandra Srivastave, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/320141

The workshop host will present an introduction to RFID technology as well as demonstrate the learned concepts through some projects created with the Raspberry Pi. Over the course of this workshop, the host will aim to cover: • The meaning of radio-frequency identification and how the system works • The common everyday applications of RFID technology • A short discussion about the Raspberry Pi and how to set it up • Some sample projects created with the Raspberry Pi demonstrating concepts Speaker(s): Ari Karimalis, Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/320859

Join the IEEE Toronto ComSoc Chapter for this in-person talk by Dr. Lina Bariah, from the Technology Innovation Institute, on "A Holistic Vision of Sustainable Smart Cities" ! Since the evolution of the smart city concept, the way we are living our everyday life has been revolving toward integrating intelligence in every aspect of our lives, spanning from automated systems, smart homes, smart buildings and factories, to intelligent transportation systems and intelligent retail. While this paradigm has motivated the emergence of novel technological trends, in order to meet its demanding requirements, several technologies have played a fundamental role in enabling the smart city concept, such as internet-of-things (IoT), sensing, machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI), and cloud and edge computing, to name a few. Along the way, wireless network generations have fundamentally participated in maturing the paradigm of smart city, which will continue to grow with the aim to realize pervasive user-centric applications supported by ubiquitous intelligence. This means, AI is anticipated to be the fuel for every aspect in smart cities. This talk will explore the opportunities offered by wireless networks in smart city applications, and the role of AI as the main orchestrator. Speaker(s): Lina Bariah, Room: 4th Floor- BA 4164, Bldg: Bahen Centre for Information Technology, University of Toronto, 40 St George St, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, ON M5S2E4

The spectrum above 100 GHz offers plentiful bandwidth for ultra-high-speed communication and high-resolution sensing, thereby providing a promising foundation for realizing unprecedented capabilities in next-generation wireless networks. In this talk, I will begin by presenting emerging transceiver architecture that can enable directional sub-THz steering without traditional multi-antenna arrays. I will discuss how to exploit the key characteristics of sub-THz signals and the proposed architecture for high-resolution localization. Such sensing modalities can then be exploited to enable highly directional, high data rate links that are robust to client and environmental mobility. I will address one of the main concerns with sub-THz networking which is high power consumption by introducing the first ultra-wideband retro-directive backscatter above 100 GHz. Finally, I will discuss new security paradigms in this regime: while the conventional wisdom suggests that physical layer security improves with narrow beams, I will explain new vulnerabilities introduced by the control plane as well as emerging low-cost smart reflecting surfaces. I will conclude the talk by illustrating fundamentally new techniques for wireless authentication and security. Speaker(s): Yasaman Ghasempour , Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/320934

Join IEEE Toronto Young Professionals Affinity Group to discuss best cloud security practices and approaches. Co-sponsored by: Vancouver Section Affinity Group,YP Speaker(s): Farshad Abasi, Agenda: Topics that will be covered are: AWS Security Hub GuardDuty Inspector Config CloudTrail IoT Device Defender Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/321667