ReMI Obtains Financing from Prompt for Optimized Learning Framework Project

ReMI has just obtained a new partnership agreement with Prompt to finance the project ‘Optimized learning framework for mission-critical applications in tactical communications’ from Professor Kim Khoa Nguyen (ETS). The funding is under Prompt’s Partenar-IA program. The Partenar-IA program aims to accelerate the design and development of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies by Quebec companies by participating in the funding of collaborative research projects. Professor Nguyen and his team, in collaboration with engineers at Ultra, will work to develop machine learning transfer methods between different critical applications to help compensate for the relatively small amount of data available in these fields. This project will also allow machine learning results obtained in the tactical sector to be applied to the Energy sector.

Prompt’s mission is to stimulate university-industry Research and Development (R&D) partnerships that increase the competitiveness of the Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) industry.

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ReMI Obtains Financing from Prompt for Distributed AI Project

ReMI has just obtained a new partnership agreement with Prompt for the financing of the project ‘Distributed AI for Mobile Ad Hoc Clouds’ for Professor Mohamed Faten Zhani at ETS University. The funding is under Prompt’s Partenar-IA program. This program aims to accelerate the design and development of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies by Quebec companies by participating in the funding of collaborative research projects. Professor Zhani and his team, in collaboration with McGill University and engineers at Ultra, will work to develop ad-hoc networks comprised of mobile devices that will allow data to be collected, routed, shared and analyzed efficiently, as well as to execute dynamic machine learning algorithms without requiring fixed infrastructure.

Prompt’s mission is to stimulate university-industry Research and Development (R&D) partnerships that increase the competitiveness of the Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) industry.

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ReMI Obtains Financing from NSERC and Prompt for Intelligent Tactical Wireless Networks Project

ReMI has obtained a new partnership agreement with NSERC and Prompt for the funding of Professor Georges Kaddoum’s (ETS) ‘Intelligent Tactical Wireless Networks for Challenging Environments’ project. This important funding is in addition to the funding provided by Ultra for distributed and real-time artificial intelligence for its mission-critical wireless applications. Professor Kaddoum and his team, in collaboration with the École Polytechnique de Montréal and Ultra’s engineers, will work to develop resilient artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques that can resist electromagnetic attacks and be deployed in mobile environments, without the need for fixed infrastructure.

Prompt’s mission is to stimulate university-industry Research and Development (R&D) partnerships that increase the competitiveness of the Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) industry. The Prompt-IA Innovation Program aims to support small businesses and organizations in the various stages of carrying out their innovation projects in artificial intelligence.

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Effective communications is a foundation for rapid response.

The resiliency of our sophisticated communications networks, the stability of the increasingly smart infrastructure around us and our first responders’ ability to communicate in a crisis situation are issues we rarely think about. Our overall safety and the ability to easily connect with others are aspects of daily life we often take for granted.

Networks which we all depend on to communicate are not impervious to national disaster or security threats. When this infrastructure is compromised, the ability to rapidly reconstitute it often means the difference between life or death.

Military forces abroad increasingly rely on sensor data and persistent cloud access to maintain real-time situational awareness in order to quickly identify and leverage tactical advantages before opponents do. For emergency first responders, public safety personnel and national guard, the lack of a stable communications network is a reality they must face when disaster occurs. Not only must they deal with food and water shortages, health hazards and protecting people from harm’s way, but they must also deal with the reliability of a communications network which can rapidly degrade. Interoperability between government agencies is a persistent challenge that is exacerbated in times of disaster when every minute counts. Future smart grids, robotic systems and intelligent transport solutions will also rely on communications networks and the need for stable and reliable communications will increase as these systems are deployed.

When networks fail and communications slows to a crawl, so do the critical services that are required to keep people safe. Effective communications and rapid response capabilities are essentially inter-dependent.

Network resiliency using AI/ML technology. ReMI is making it happen.

With the growth of IoT, Big Data and user demand for bandwidth, smarter networks are essential. During a crisis, it’s even more vital that networks function flawlessly. ReMI is working with operators on the frontline to maximize network efficiency by allowing devices to be prioritized, managed and configured intelligently and with minimal user interaction. The technologies we are developing at ReMI go beyond standard autonomous network management techniques and provide users the ability to analyze key network data, predict potential failures and apply preventative corrections to guarantee the productivity of all network elements. The artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies we develop allow networks to self-configure, self-optimize and self-heal and are only the beginning of what the future holds for this field. ReMI is passionately committed to making these capabilities a reality.

When the unexpected strikes, persistent communications and network uptime is a must have. The ReMI project is making it happen.

Creation of the first-ever institute devoted to artificial intelligence in communication systems.

ÉTS and Ultra TCS team up to break new ground in artificial intelligence

MONTRÉAL, (June 12th, 2019) — The École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) and the multinational tech company Ultra Electronics are proud to announce the official launch of the first Institute in resilient and distributed artificial intelligence in Montréal: The ÉTS-Ultra TCS Resilient Machine learning Institute, dubbed the ReMI (Resilient Machine learning Institute). At the same time, Ultra Electronics plans to invest $25M over the course of the next two decades into research and development in the field.

 

Distributed artificial intelligence is concerned with systems in which artificial agents operate collectively and in a decentralised manner to accomplish a task. For its part, artificial intelligence (AI) as we currently know it is centralised in a single unit.

 

Distributed resilient AI is a multi-domain innovation that complements everything that is done in artificial intelligence in Montréal and elsewhere in Canada.

 

ReMI works to solve major telecommunication problems that arise during major incidents around the world, such as earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, terrorist acts, etc. With the support of ReMI and resilient networks, at least 50 per cent of telecommunication capabilities should be restored automatically during these tragedies.

 

Quotes

  • “This is a major engineering breakthrough considering that network resilience is very important in many areas such as smart manufacturing or industry 4.0, public security, the military, and smart grids,” noted François Gagnon, director of ReMI.

 

  • “Ultra TCS tests its communications systems in the most difficult conditions of the market. The integration of distributed machine learning will enable us to take a new technological step and diversity our product range,” explained Gwenaël Poitau, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Ultra Electronics TCS and Director, Data Science at ReMI.

 

World-class expertise

ReMI already has a network of eminent researchers from ÉTS, Polytechnique, McGill, Memorial University, CentraleSupélec (France), Tufts University (United States), etc. The team includes:

 

  • François Gagnon, Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at ÉTS, holder of the CRSNG Ultra Electronics Chair in emergency and tactical telecommunications and holder of the Richard J. Marceau Research Chair in digital wireless strategies for developing countries.
  • Gwenaël Poitau, Chief Technology Officer at Ultra TCS (CTO). Poitau has 18 years of experience in the development of wireless telecommunications systems for the telecommunications and defence markets. He has published a large number of patents and specialist articles. He is one of the few industrial experts to combine product architecture, academic research, and administration.

Two downtown locations

The ÉTS-Ultra TCS Resilient AI Learning Institute has two locations in Montreal’s downtown core: its expert office on Peel Ave. in Montréal and a showroom in the Centech facility, located a short distance from the ÉTS offices.

About ÉTS

The École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) is one of the 10 branches of the Université du Québec. It trains engineers and researchers recognised for their practical and innovative approach, the development of new technologies and their transfer to companies. Nearly one in four Quebec engineers graduates from ÉTS, which has more than 10,600 students. Specialised in applied training and engineering research, ÉTS maintains a unique partnership with the business community and the industry. For more information: www.etsmtl.ca.

 

About Ultra Electronics

Based in Montréal, Ultra TCS, a division of Ultra Electronics, is the world leader in high-capacity tactical communication systems. Ultra TCS provides reliable, powerful, and efficient communication equipment for defence systems. Ultra TCS products are designed to meet and exceed military requirements to ensure reliable, efficient, and robust communications that can be deployed in the most challenging environments. Ultra TCS is proud to work with leading system integrators to provide the best communications systems and services that can be integrated into any deployment scenario around the world. For more information, visit www.ultra-tcs.com.