Problem Statement
Optimize the brewing process at Fine Granularity for four brewing variables (fuel, CO2, water, electrical power).
Solution Strategy
This solution focuses on optimizing resource utilization at the Brewery across different departments such as Brewing, Packaging, and Power. By offering real-time alerts and resource utilization, operators can be more informed and make better production decisions.
Problem Statement
Data from home dialysis patients is provided for analysis and is to be incorporated in an improved costing algorithm. This algorithm must accurately predict the expenses for current and future dialysis patients based on specific contributing factors. This function will help to promote home treatment by showing patients their potential savings and overall health benefits.
Solution Strategy
In this model, regression methods were employed to predict the general trends in the data, and separate the relevant from the irrelevant information. It was concluded that the regression methods were not sufficient to model and predict the treatment costs, alone. However, using a data processing algorithm inspired by how the brain processes and learns information, artificial neural network (ANN), the problem was simplified by reducing the number of input variables. It was shown that ANN is capable of predicting treatment cost with reasonable accuracy even if the data has relatively high uncertainty. As a future recommendation, ANNM-bM-^@M-^Ys performance can be further refined with additional training and test data.
Problem Statement
Create and adapt a User Acquisition (UA) strategy, in a mobile gaming context, to maximize revenue.
Solution Strategy
For future UA endeavours, data from a longer time period could be used to more accurately predict trends in ratings and organic growth. Five monthsM-bM-^@M-^Y worth of data is enough to draw general trends, yet when partitioned into days of the week and holidays, more patterns emerge from a greater quantity of data. Data from similar games may be used to draw comparisons and contrasts between different growth patterns to find optimum strategies for investment in paid downloads.
Problem Statement
The need for electricity will surge in the future when battery-powered cars become more common. What arrangements are required to ensure that the power network has enough capacity to support electric vehicles without power outages? Moreover, how should electric car owners be educated of the fluctuations in electricity prices, so that they can decide when it is cheaper to charge their cars, or less likely to affect the grid?
Solution Strategy
Based on 'time of use' rates, the cars will automatically determine the best time for them to charge, in order to balance hydro loads. In addition, key points required for success include: 1) use of demand pricing; 2) addition of solar power to compensate for increased demands on existing infrastructure; 3) emphasizing the need for reactionary infrastructure changes.
Problem Statement
There are changing landscapes in both the emergence big data infrastructures and the increasing use of digital payment systems. There is a vast amount of data available from these digital payment systems (e.g. debit/credit purchases, web/mobile account access logs, etc.) and they are currently underutilized. Develop a solution strategy on how to best analyze those data using available tools. The goal of these analyses is to provide insights that can assist business owners.
Solution Strategy
The team proposed a plan for TD to glean new market insights using Big Data analytics software, based on emerging payment data streams such as mobile banking apps and tap to pay systems.
Problem Statement
The ReThink London team is reviewing their strategies for engaging citizens in the city planning process, in order to identify ways to reach a larger volume and greater diversity of Londoners.
Solution Strategy
To help ReThink London connect effectively with the citizens and educate them about the CityM-bM-^@M-^Ys long-term plan, our team has come up with a three-point strategy: 1) Excite through promotion and advertising. 2) Engage through discussion, feedback, and community participation. 3) Educate through workshops to inform people what it means to Rethink London.
Problem Statement
Given the steady depletion of economical petroleum, and new techniques developed in the motor industry, replacing gasoline vehicles with EVs has been the future trend in motor industry. What we are facing now is the increasing number of EVs that will lead to a huge demand on electricity from grid. Imagine if everyone comes at home at 5:00 pm after work and plugs in their vehicles. That will cause even higher stress on the grid during peak-load hours. How can communities share the fixed-capacity resource of an electricity grid? How can consumers avoid getting surprisingly high bills due to the EVs charging? Considering this situation, we need two comprehensive strategies with different time periods.
Solution Strategy
We have two strategies due to different time periods in short term and long term. In short term, we can dig into the communication strategy, and supply the timing device to customers. This strategy will narrow the spread between peak-load hour demand and off-peak load hour demand and communicate better with our clients. In long term, London Hydro can promote new techniques from manufacturing (v2g, battery reserve) and increase infrastructures to meet the increasing demand. So regarding the different time periods, we can choose periodic strategies to meet the clients demand.
Problem Statement
How can a net-zero micro-grid benefit from remaining connected to a main power grid? This is assuming the micro-grid is residential, draws its power from solar PV cells, and has the ability to connect to London HydroM-bM-^@M-^Ys power grid.
Solution Strategy
The solution strategy is divided into two sections: 1) Highlight the benefits that customers on a micro-grid will receive if they are to remain connected to a main power grid provided by a power company, such as London Hydro. These benefits include: better power availability, eligibility to main grid maintenance, and lower reliance on daily weather/time-of-day factors that are current problems for solar panels and wind turbines. 2) Describes a strategy for power companies to facilitate the needs of micro-grid clients in the future. This strategy was developed utilizing data on future demand predictions to demonstrate the potential revenue power companies can expect with the inclusion of micro-grid clients and new services to address their needs.
Problem Statement
EnviroNizeM-BM-. Anolyte is an antibacterial/antimicrobial technology that is new to the North American market place. This technology is proposed to be small scale and mobile, making it ideal for emergency situations and remote areas. Identify the regulatory requirements necessary for efficacy validation, cost estimation for validation, and a financing strategy.
Solution Strategy
The solution for the EnviroNize problem is simple, increase the validation of the product by working with private and public companies to ensure that it is to the Canadian standards for water treatment. This can be facilitated via grants from Universities like Western and private companies such as Standard Development Technology Canada. These groups can ensure that full or partial funding is in place to test the EnviroNize product.
Problem Statement
Improve feedback system for synthetic biotissue Research and Development.
Solution Strategy
A new metric is proposed to translate descriptions of human tissue properties (e.g. more like skin than like liver) which surgeons are likely to be more familiar with, into engineering material properties (such as tensile strength) which industrial manufacturers are familiar with.
Problem Statement
In order to characterize de-icing products, Tillsonbrands currently sends products to University of Michigan for testing. The tests (i.e. ice melting time, friction test, corrosion test) currently cost a considerable amount of time and money. A cost effective, on-site pre-test is required for their products for better characterization before offsite testing.
Solution Strategy
"Cold Box" - a combination of a glove box (isolation apparatus commonly used in chemistry) and a freezer is proposed as a readily available, cost-effective method for preliminary characterization.
