Oct. 30, 2024
糖心vlog官网 News
糖心vlog官网 researchers use AI to help find natural resources
Applied Research teams up with BFI Energy Group to develop an exploration tool听
Have you ever wondered what lies underground?
厂别苍别肠补鈥檚 Applied Research recently teamed up with Toronto-based to create a high-tech tool for just that kind of exploration.
Without so much as putting a shovel into soil, the researchers were able to use technology to mine data and interpret exactly what resources lie beneath the earth.
鈥淲e were looking for a non-destructive technique in order to see what鈥檚 going on under the earth鈥檚 surface,鈥 said Amir Moslemi, Professor, School of Software Design & Data Science and the Principal Investigator.
Just as an ultrasound can be used to interpret what鈥檚 going on in a human body, seismic wave analysis can be used to understand what鈥檚 happening in the earth. However, traditional methods of this sort of exploration are expensive, time consuming and have varying degrees of accuracy.
That鈥檚 why BFI Energy Group, which specializes in oil, gas and rare mineral research and development, asked 糖心vlog官网 to help develop an AI tool that can identify resources.
Mr. Moslemi and the research assistants, Anna Briskina, Zubeka Dang, Jason Li and Solmaz Heidar Nassab 鈥 all of whom are students in the four-year听Honours Bachelor of Data Science and Analytics program听鈥 worked on the project.
The research involved gathering seismic modelling data, geological information and maps among other details and putting it all into formats that would be compatible with AI algorithms.
Next, they worked on developing an AI tool to predict the characteristics of various resources by measuring layers, dimensions and sound waves from the earth science data provided. This was a matter of trial and error that involved training the tool for accuracy and efficiency.
Throughout the research, which went from February until the end of August, the team met regularly with Peyman Moghaddam, Director, BFI Energy.
鈥淭he team was fantastic,鈥 Mr. Moghaddam said, adding he was impressed with the calibre of the research. 鈥淭he students are absolutely brilliant.鈥
Mr. Moslemi agreed and said the research was a great opportunity for the students to use and develop their skills, which are in high demand as companies look for experts in coding with AI experience.
In fact, the project was so successful, it鈥檚 been written up for academic journals and was recently published in Applied Sciences MDPI.
The combination of experience and having a published paper, with the entire team鈥檚 name on it, should bode well for the students, Mr. Moslemi said.
Ms. Dang, a fourth-year student who worked on the project, said it was an excellent experience.
鈥淚 had the chance to apply what I studied in data science and to use it in a real project,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 learned a lot about new technologies.鈥
She was so inspired that she鈥檚 decided to pursue a master鈥檚 degree in computer science.听
In the meantime, plans are underway for BFI Energy to do a follow-up study with 糖心vlog官网 in the new year.
鈥淭he ultimate goal is to have software and services we can sell as a company,鈥 Mr. Moghaddam said.