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University of Ottawa-led smart car technology research awarded $8 million
OTTAWA, February 11, 2011 — A University of Ottawa-led research network has been awarded a $5 million grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and an additional $3 million from industry partners towards a large-scale research program that will transform the way Canadians drive.
Professor Azzedine Boukerche of the School of Information Technology and Engineering (SITE) is the lead researcher for the Developing Next Generation Intelligent Vehicular Networks and Applications (DIVA) network, comprised of several universities, government organizations and private sector companies. Professor Boukerche aims to design network protocols and applications for vehicular ad hoc and sensor networks (VANets) that allow high-speed communication among vehicles and ground-based infrastructure, and increase driving comfort. It represents the first NSERC Strategic Network ever hosted at the University of Ottawa.
“This welcome support demonstrates the University of Ottawa’s expertise in science, technology and engineering, and highlights our role as a leader in bringing new technologies to daily practical use, for Canadians’ health, security and economic progress,” said Mona Nemer, vice-president, research.
These leading-edge technologies will significantly improve efficiency, safety, productivity and general mobility on the road, while reducing threats to travel safety and security, as well as greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, the VANets will introduce applications that will make travelling long distances more comfortable for passengers, such as location-aware services, multimedia streaming, local news, social networking, tourist information and alert messages on streets and highways.
Professor Boukerche is a full professor at SITE and Canada Research Chair in Large-Scale Distributed Interactive Simulations and Mobile Computing and Networking.
The funding is part of NSERC’s Strategic Network Grants (SNG) Program, which aims to increase research and training in targeted areas that could strongly enhance Canada’s economy, society and/or environment within the next 10 years.
The University of Ottawa is committed to research excellence and encourages an interdisciplinary approach to knowledge creation, which attracts the best academic talent from across Canada and around the world.
