Grants and Contributions

The project aims to increase dismounted soldier protection from both kinetic and non-kinetic threats in complex urban environments, while simultaneously decreasing overall soldier discomfort. Investigate innovations in thermal regulation, moisture management, all-weather protection, flexible and breathable armour gel, and how each of these innovations interact with one another and with overall soldier comfort.

The project aims to develop advanced high strength materials in the form of nanostructured and high-entropy alloys, with enhanced mechanical properties, to improve the resistance to damage from high velocity ballistics and shrapnel projectiles by developing functionally-graded (FG) materials and structures which will replace the heavy ceramic-metal polymer layers in current armour. Artificial neural network learning will be used to study the influence material sequence in FG structures with different geometries that will be designed for enhanced energy absorption and resistance to damage under various forms of ballistic loading conditions. New materials in form of metallic glass will be developed as coatings from protection against degradation through wear and corrosion damage.

The project aims to address barriers limiting the development of highly relevant optoelectronic-based group-IV technologies and TXz-to-MIR technologies. The proposed THz-to-MIR compact photonic platforms will capitalize on recent advances in controlling the structural and optoelectronic properties of (Si)GeSN direct bandgap materials. The Micro-net will collectively advance research and establish new materials physics to develop an atomistic-level understanding of growth phenomena shaping the basic properties of (Si)GeSN-based nanoscale and quantum structures, develop devise structures to harness the optoelectronic and photonic properties of (Si)GeSn-based materials and optimize the performance of light emitters, detectors and sensing devices.

The project aims to mimic the camouflaging abilities of an octopus using artificial means and apply this technology in a defence and security context to conceal personnel and military platforms behind a real-time reconfigurable un-detectability veil, thus sending illusions and misinformation to adversaries.

The objective of this Micro-net is to develop innovative advanced materials, disruptive technologies and devices for military applications and provide a fundamental insight of the underlying processes governing materials and device performance. The proposed research includes materials processing and patterning, device fabrication and advanced characterization of fundamental materials properties.

The ever-increasing need to improve the effectiveness of Canadian military missions through increased protection and survivability of personnel and platforms urgently requires the development of advanced materials with enhanced properties to combat the various forms of kinetic and non-kinetic threats, without sacrificing mobility and maneuverability. This proposed research focuses on addressing this key challenge.

The Micro-net brings together a multidisciplinary team of research experts to implement tunable compact photonic platform on emerging group IV SiGeSn semiconductors to address current challenges facing the development of silicon-integrated light sources, detectors, and sensors operating in the part of the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum covering from the terahertz to the mid-infrared.
The proposed innovative materials and devices provide direct access to scalable photonic systems in the THz-to-MIR range. This capability will facilitate photonic emitters and detectors and create a viable path for ultra-broadband compact photonic technologies

A novel technology for detection avoidance of military personal and platforms is proposed by taking inspiration from octopus camouflaging strategy, where they tune their spectral signature to that of their surroundings to become effectively invisible. Their sensing, processing and reconfiguring capability will be mimicked using engineered electromagnetic (EM) metasurfaces. These reconfigurable metasurfaces will be equipped with smart sensing networks for environment monitoring and autonomous decision making powers based on Artificial Intelligence (AI), i.e. a biomimetic metasurface.

The objective of the proposed research is to develop these biomimetic metasurfaces in various spectral bands from RF to optics, based on various exotic physical effects, with multi-spectral operation capabilities.

The Project aims to increase dismounted soldier protection from both kinetic and non-kinetic threats in complex urban environments, while simultaneously decreasing overall soldier discomfort.

The applicant is requesting funding to conduct focus groups with female and female-identified CAF members and veterans to explore the gendered experience of deployment between January and June 2020. Its results will inform a workshop, including on factors related to retention and discharge. A manuscript would be prepared to highlighting findings in October-December 2020.