MHC students present research projects addressing real-world challenges

Student researcher Nitin Nitin has spent the summer using drone technology to collect agricultural data and examine crop conditions.

Nitin, who recently graduated from Medicine Hat College’s sustainable environment program, said the project involves flying drones over agricultural fields and using multispectral imagery to examine crop health.

“We take out the drones to the fields to scan the crops and find out if there is any disease or if there is anything wrong with the crop,” Nitin said.

The drone uses several cameras and different types of light to capture multiple images of the crops.

Nitin said the research is focused on precision agriculture and providing producers with information about the condition of their crops.

“We use drones for precise agriculture, so we are focusing on a real-world problem, helping the farmers to find out the crop conditions,” Nitin said.

The agricultural project is part of a larger initiative supported by the Centre for Innovation that brings together students, local producers and drone technology to collect agricultural data in southeastern Alberta.

Nitin began working with the Centre for Innovation in June and said he has gained experience with drone operations, GIS mapping and agricultural research.

“In two and a half months, I have learned a lot,” Nitin said.

“I got my pilot license. I got to fly the drones. I got to know more about GIS mapping stuff.”

Nitin said the research is still underway, with more flights planned before a final report is completed.

“Right now we are showcasing just insights of our project; there will be like more conclusions,” Nitin said.

Other students at the showcase focused on challenges outside of agriculture.

Jorja Bell conducted market research for a proposed regional transportation service that would connect passengers in communities such as Medicine Hat and Lethbridge with Calgary International Airport by luxury coach bus.

The concept would use existing regional airport infrastructure, with passengers checking in and completing security procedures before boarding a coach that would take them directly to their connecting airport.

Bell surveyed residents to determine whether there was demand for the service.

The original goal was to collect 50 responses.

“We were really surprised when I got to work the next morning, and it was 372 responses,” Bell said.

Bell’s research found that 58 per cent of respondents had decided not to travel to an international airport because transportation was inconvenient.

She also found that about 49 per cent said the proposed service would make them more likely to travel by air, while 66 per cent said they would use the service if it were available in their community.

Bell said the survey also provided feedback on how a service could operate, with many respondents calling for multiple departure times throughout the day.

“We’ve received a lot, I’d say like 50 to 60 per cent of feedback was making convenient timeframes for the departures,” Bell said.

“So a lot of respondents said that they would like three departures a day, hitting all the main points of the day, which being morning, afternoon, and night.”

Bell said the research showed there could be a transportation barrier preventing some people from accessing larger airports.

“I think it’s really important that I’ve done this research because there isn’t a lot of regional travel research available to the public,” Bell said.

Bell said the research also showed the importance of transportation options for people who may not have access to a personal vehicle.

“What’s really been the biggest benefit from the C4i for this project is just showing people that it is important to have options,” Bell said.

A third project presented at the showcase explored how virtual reality could be used to study fear.

Kadence Tremblay developed a virtual reality game for a psychology lab experiment planned for the fall.

Tremblay, who is an art major, spent four months developing the project in Unreal Engine, despite having never used the software before.

The game includes audio cues and other fear triggers that researchers can use to assess participants’ responses.

“It includes certain audio cues and fear triggers that we can use to assess a participant’s levels of fear when they experience them,” Tremblay said.

Tremblay said the project was developed as a way to determine whether students could create virtual reality simulations as a more cost-effective alternative to hiring an outside studio.

The work could eventually have applications beyond the psychology experiment, including training for high-pressure situations in fields such as health care and policing.

“Our hope is that if the VR is successful, we could use the same kind of method for future training programs, like in health care or police work, where high-pressure situations or very fearful situations come up more frequently, and they can be more prepared for that,” Tremblay said.

The projects were part of the Centre for Innovation’s broader summer research program, which allows students to work directly on applied research projects and connect their academic experience with industry and community needs.

The showcase also allowed students to meet with faculty, researchers and community partners and share what they learned through their projects.

by Jett Schwaier

MHC students present research projects addressing real-world challenges

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