Research Facilities and Labs
The Department has an enviable collection of facilities for advanced research in systems and computer engineering. There are over 1000 engineering workstations and PCs using a variety of operating systems (primarily Linux and Windows), computing clusters, numerous items of specialized equipment, and extensive collections of advanced software. Some highlights of our research facilities are outlined below, grouped by area of research.
Systems and Machine Intelligence Laboratories
The specialized research facilities in this area are part of two labs:
Autonomous and Intelligent Vehicle Laboratory
The laboratory conducts experimental research on autonomous aerial and ground vehicles. The lab is equipped with several unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) and numerous drones with different sizes and sets of preceptory instruments. A private cellular 5G core is also installed in the building to establish a dedicated vehicular network, providing the vehicles with remote connectivity at the highest quality of service. The research uses state-of-the-art artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques to address all aspects of intelligent autonomous vehicle operations, ranging from perception and control to navigation and path planning. Funding for the laboratory has come from a project with Ericsson Inc.
The laboratory is equipped with,
- Three Parrot mini drones.
- A midi-sized parrot drone.
- A custom-made large drone capable of carrying up to 3 kg payload.
- Two upgraded Clearpath ground robots.
- A Waveshare UGV rover.
The vehicles are equipped with various sensory instruments such as cameras, LiDAR sensors, ultrasound range finders, infrared obstacle detectors, Inertial Measurement Units (IMU), and wheel encoders.
The vehicles are controlled with Arduino microcontroller boards in conjunction with Raspberry Pi modules.
The autonomous vehicles are linked through a ROS2-based communication and control system.
The vehicles are positioned in Cartesian coordinates to within millimeter accuracy using a camera-based visual tracking system (OptiTrack).
The autonomous vehicles are capable of communicating over Wi-Fi, the dedicated cellular 5G platform available in the lab, as well as commercial 4G LTE networks.
Location: VSIM Building
Advanced Real-Time Simulation Laboratory
Advanced Real-Time Simulation Lab website
The Advanced Real-Time Simulation Lab consists of embedded systems devoted to research into real-time modelling and simulation and is used study the creation and execution of complex models with strong timing requirements, and interfaces to the external world including hardware devices. It also provides 3D visualization facilities, and a number of development workstations.
Location: VSIM Building
Biomedical Engineering Laboratories
BioMechatronics Lab
Our research revolves around medical robotics, combining teleoperation and robotics with instrumentation to enable complex minimally invasive surgical interventions. Our areas of research include:
- Robotics: Teleoperation, image-guided surgery, collaborative human-robot surgery;
- Instrumentation: Device instrumentation, signal processing, multimodal tissue characterization;
- Imaging: Ultrasound imaging, multi-modal imaging
- Human-machine interfaces: VR, haptic devices, and sensors.
Infrastructure:
- 2 Lambda 7 haptic devices from Force Dimension (same used in the international space station to control the CanadArm);
- Verasonics and Telemed research ultrasound machines with beamforming and radiofrequency data access, signal synchronization triggers, and a variety of ultrasound transducers;
- NDI electromagnetic surgical tracking systems;
- Ultraprecise instrumentation equipment:
- 44 GHz Keysight streamline Vector Network analyzer with dielectric probe;
- 14 GHz Cooper Mountain Vector network analyzer
- 5 GHz Zurich Instruments lock-in amplifier
- Keithley nA programmable AC current source
- Electrical impedance tomography analyzers
- Signal generators, oscilloscopes, and spectrum analyzers
- PCi data acquisition cards
- A virtual reality surgical simulator with haptic feedback from Marion Surgical
- Two of the most precise 6-DOF robotic arms in the world
- Realistic anatomic mannequins for ultrasound imaging and surgical training
- Rapid prototyping:
- Resin and filament 3D printers, wash and cure stations
- Machining equipment, including bench top lathe and mill, soldering stations
- 128-core supercomputer for advanced physics modelling and simulation, and biomedical image generation and processing
Location: Canal Building, CB 6110
Haptics and Teleoperation Laboratory
This lab supports research in the areas of real-time and interactive networked systems, haptics, virtual reality, robotics and teleoperation with applications to telemedicine, surgical simulation and robotic/tele-surgery. Specialized equipment includes:
- two PHANToM Premium 1.5A haptic robots,
- one PeopleBot mobile robot,
- one SGI graphic workstation,
- a number of specialized force sensing and networking devices,
- Dell workstations.
Location: Minto Case, MC7033
Carleton University Biomedical Engineering (CUBE) Research Laboratory
This lab has a variety of specialized biomedical engineering sensors and measurement equipment, including:
- Medical ultrasound imaging with linear and convex probes
- Ultrasonic measurements with a mechanical 3D scanner
- Electrical impedance tomography imaging system from lead groups/companies in the field (Cardinal Health, Goe MFII; Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, Sigmatome II; Uni Cape Town; Swisstom, Mark I)
- Sixteen channel Grass-Telefactor biological signal acquisition system capable of collecting various biological signals, such as electromyograms, electrocardiograms, electroencelphograms, and electroneurograms
- Bioimpedance measurement system consisting of a frequency response analyzer (Model 1255A, Solartron Analytical) and an impedance interface (Model 1294A, Solartron Analytical)
- Equipment for physiology and respiratory monitoring, including total body plethysmography is available.
- High-power workstations available for graduate students, including a number of GPU-multicore systems for acceleration of biomedical informatics computing
- High end measurement equipment (e.g., oscilloscopes from National Instruments and Tektronics)
- Laser displacement sensor (Model: CL-P070, Keyence)
Location: Canal Building, CB6105
Biomedical Engineering Laboratory
This lab has 12 stations, equipped with CleveMed BioRadio 150 systems; a compact, wireless, 14-channel data acquisition device for measuring physiological signals. The hardware is comprised of 6 pre-set inputs and 8 programmable channels which can be configured to measure any physiological signal, such as electrical activity from the heart, brain and muscle as well as transducer inputs such as respiration, force and blood pressure. Four prototyping stations are present, which include National Instruments PXI instruments for testing and measurements.
Tissue Engineering and BioImaging Lab
Description: At the Tissue Engineering and BioImaging Lab, we’re a vibrant team exploring the hidden world of cells and tissues. Using state-of-the-art optical microscopy and spectroscopy, we dive into the changes that happen in health and disease. By turning complex data into breakthrough insights, we’re uncovering the secrets of how tissues work and paving the way for exciting new advances in medicine.
Our areas of research include:
- Collagen Remodeling in respiratory diseases – Mapping how fibroblasts and immune cells reshape collagen in respiratory diseases such as asthma, using advanced imaging and computational analysis.
- Airway Remodeling in Asthma – Employing cutting-edge imaging and 3D bioprinting to mimic and study fibrosis in asthma
- Cellular Triggers of Fibrosis – Integrating imaging, bioprinting, and machine learning to decode the interactions driving scar tissue buildup in various organs.
- Extracellular Matrix (ECM) Dynamics – Combining microscopy, computational modeling, and engineered tissues to reveal how ECM alterations propel disease progression.
Infrastructure: Super resolution confocal microscope Raman microspectrometerMicrofluidics 3D bioprinterMechanical testers able to track forces at nano scaleCell and tissue culture facilities
Location: CB 5111 / HSB 3rd floor
Abilities Living Laboratory
The Abilities Living Laboratory (ALL) at Carleton University is an integrated, interdisciplinary research environment for co-creation, iterative prototyping, experimentation, simulation, and knowledge mobilization to pursue a fully inclusive and accessible Canada.
The ALL lab brings together some of Canada’s top minds from science, engineering, design, health, social sciences, and the humanities to co-create, with stakeholders, innovative community systems that enable a fully inclusive and accessible Canada as described in the UnitedNations #Envision 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. The ALL team aspires to translate the “Nothing about us, without us” imperative to include persons with disabilities in accessibility research and innovation into a future where “Nothing is without us.”
Location: ARISE Building
Computer and Software Engineering Laboratories
Facilities for research in the area of computers and software engineering are divided among several labs as follows:
The Software Quality Engineering Laboratory (SQUALL)
The Software Quality Engineering Laboratory (SQUALL) is an industry-oriented software engineering research laboratory with an overall objective to develop new methodologies and tools to develop higher quality software in a cost-effective manner.
Location: Minto Case, MC7080
The Real Time and Distributed Systems (RADS) Lab
Real Time and Distributed Systems (RADS) is a key Carleton University Research Centre (CURC). The centre is actively involved in research in software engineering, system performance, modeling and simulation, system optimization, hardware-software co-design, resource management, system security, artificial intelligence and machine learning and mobile and wireless systems. Members perform individual and collaborative research (both fundamental and industry-focused) and contribute effectively to the training of Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP).The group uses an infrastructure of onsite networked computing and storage facilities for performing software development, simulation and system prototyping and measurement. Additional infrastructure from the Carleton Research Computing and Development Cloud and public cloud service providers are also used as and when required. Software performance analysis tools such as the Layered Queueing Network Solver (LQNS) and various simulation packages are used by the RADS researchers and students for simulating various types of real time and distributed systems. The centre’s outreach activities include seminars and an annual graduate student poster fair.
Location: Canal Building, CB 5101
The Network Management and Artificial Intelligence Lab
Network Management and Artificial Intelligence website
The Network Management and Artificial Intelligence Lab is conducting research in artificial intelligence, network management, autonomous systems and network computing.
The Integrated Systems Inc (ISI) Laboratory
The Integrated Systems Inc (ISI) Laboratory includes 60 copies of the ISI development software for the design of real-time embedded software systems (pRISM+, pSOS+, pROBE+, etc.). This is leading-edge software for the design and analysis of real-time embedded software. The ISI lab also includes the Matrix Software.
Location: Canal Building, CB 5109
Cyber Security Evaluation and Assurance (CyberSEA) Research Lab
The Cyber Security Evaluation and Assurance (CyberSEA) Research Lab conducts advanced academic research to develop systematic and rigorous approaches for evaluating and assuring the cyber security of software-dependent systems.
Location: Canal Building, CB 5101
Secure Cryptographic Implementations Lab (SCI-LAB)
Secure Cryptographic Implementations Lab investigates cryptographic applications and the implementation of cryptographic algorithms. Our goal is to propose open-sources cryptographic solutions using hardware and software cores that are small, fast, efficient, require low energy and secure against implementation attacks.
Location: Minto Case, MC4050
Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) Laboratories
Our research is multi-disciplinary focusing on human factors of technology. We take a human-centric approach to study real-world problems, evaluate technologies, and iteratively design/build/evaluate innovative systems to empower people. Our research is grounded in real data collected through various methods, including but not limited to interviews, focus groups, surveys, observational studies, user studies, and usability inspection studies.
HealthVisFutures
The HealthVisFutures lab addresses real-world problems by designing, developing, evaluating, and deploying effective technologies and information visualization systems. In particular, our research focuses on increasing patient engagement in their medical care, supporting patients in tracking their health data, improving patient-clinician communication, and assisting in clinical decision-making.
Location: Minto Case, MC7049
People-centric Engineering Research Lab (PERL)
The People-centric Engineering Research Lab (PERL) is a multidisciplinary group interested in privacy and security research problems from a human-centric perspective. Our research spans different topics including, user-centric privacy and security, developer-centric software security, usable security for technical experts, and privacy and security in emerging technologies.
Location: Minto Case, MC3033
Signal Speech and Image Processing Laboratories
Facilities for research in this area are divided among several labs as follows:
March Networks, Mitel Networks and Analog Devices Inc. (ADI) VoIP Lab
March Networks, Mitel Networks and Analog Devices Inc. (ADI) VoIP Lab is based on the Mitel Integrated Communications Platform (ICP3200). The lab has 20 development stations; ADI Circuit Emulators (ICE) and speech quality analyzers. The research work investigates the impact of the VoIP on the speech quality.
Location: Minto Case, MC6010
The Audio Signal Processing Lab
The Audio Signal Processing Lab has state of the art audio and speech processing equipment including DSP boards, multi-channel audio acquisition and storage devices, and microphone arrays.
Texas Instruments Embedded Processing Lab
Texas Instruments named Carleton University as part of their ELITE DSP Lab program. This lab includes 20 DSP development systems for 3 types of processors: TI-TMS320C54x, C62xx, and C6711.
Computer Communications Networks Laboratories
Facilities for research in this area are divided among several labs as follows:
Broadband Networks Laboratory
The Broadband Networks Laboratory is involved in research for internet networks/technologies, optical networks and wireless packet ring networks. The lab has a prototype optical switching and an IDT ATM evaluation platform for practical measurements and experimentation. It also has a Crossbow Mote Kit for experimentation in the area of Sensor Networks using the Tiny OS operating system.
Location: Mackenzie Building, ME4290
Optical Networks Laboratory
The Optical Networks Laboratory is the first fully in-house laboratory dedicated to research on optical network architectures. It integrates state-of-the-art photonic switches with electronic routers and switches. The equipment includes: 4 OMM 8X8 -2 Photonic Switches Packed by Nortel. 4 Nortel Passport 8600 Switches. 4 Nortel BayStack Switches.