Events

The IEEE BCIT Student Branch is hosting the IEEE PES Day x Year-End Appreciation event to celebrate our role as an IEEE PES Day Ambassador and recognize the support of faculty, staff, and <a href="http://students.Burnaby" target="_blank" title="students.Burnaby">students.Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

Abstract:Artificial intelligence and combinatorial optimization problems—such as drug discovery and prime factorization—remain challenging even for advanced computers. We are attempting to address these limitations by building photonic processors inspired by the brain—photonic neural networks—which utilize light for faster and more energy-efficient processing . We will discuss photonic networks, including Ising machines enabled by thin-film lithium niobate photonics , highlighting their applications in number partitioning, protein folding, wireless communications, and deep learning. Time permitting, we will briefly introduce a quantum photonic neural network that can learn to act as near-perfect components of quantum technologies and discuss the role of weak nonlinearities . Shastri, B.J. et al. Photonics for artificial intelligence and neuromorphic computing. Nature Photonics 15 (2021) Al-Kayed, N. et al. Programmable 200 GOPS Hopfield-inspired photonic Ising machine. Nature 648 (2025) Ewaniuk, J et al. Imperfect quantum photonic neural networks. Advanced Quantum Technologies (2023) .Co-sponsored by: Prof. Nicolas QuesadaSpeaker(s): Bhavin J. ShastriJ. Armand Bombardier J-1035, Polytechnique Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada, H3T 1J4

The concept of Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) has emerged as a promising approach to manage the growing operational challenges associated with high penetration of distributed energy resources (DERs) in distribution systems. By aggregating distributed assets, VPPs enable coordinated control of flexible resources at the customer level. However, in an open market environment where multiple VPPs may coexist within the same distribution network, new technical challenges arise in ensuring secure and reliable operation. In particular, the coordination of multiple VPPs must account for network constraints across the distribution <a href="http://feeder.To" target="_blank" title="feeder.To">feeder.To address these challenges, this work proposes a two-layer VPP dispatch framework. The upper layer determines feasible operating envelopes for each VPP by solving a network-constrained optimal power flow problem, capturing the impact of aggregated resources on the distribution system. The lower layer performs VPP-level dispatch within these limits, ensuring that individual resource schedules remain compliant with network constraints. This framework enables scalable and coordinated deployment of multiple VPPs while maintaining system reliability and operational <a href="http://feasibility.Co-sponsored" target="_blank" title="feasibility.Co-sponsored">feasibility.Co-sponsored by: Resilience and Clean Energy Systems (RCES)Speaker(s): Imantha Meegasthanne Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/553741

Abstract: Future 6G wireless communication systems will require high spectral and energy efficiencies for both economic and environmental reasons. Current amplifiers can have very low amplification efficiency, especially when used with variable-envelope broadband signals like the OFDM-based schemes and single-carrier schemes with compact spectrum (both widely employed in broadband wireless land and satellite communications). In fact, the maximum amplification efficiency for quasi-linear amplifiers (like class-A amplifiers) is 50%. This value drops to 5-10% when high-PAPR signals are employed. By using strongly nonlinear, switched amplifiers (like class D or F amplifiers), we can increase the maximum theoretical amplification to 100%, but the strong nonlinear distortion levels preclude its use with variable-envelope <a href="http://signals.In" target="_blank" title="signals.In">signals.In this presentation, we make an overview on block transmission techniques for broadband wireless communications, as well as current power amplification schemes, with their advantages and limitations when employed with variable-envelope signals. We also present an innovative and highly disruptive amplification scheme named quantized digital amplification (QDA), which can overcome those limitations. It is shown that the QDA allows a quasi-linear amplification of variable-envelope signals like OFDM ones, while maintaining very high energy efficiency, being able to fulfill the spectral masks and EVM (Error Vector Magnitude) requirements of the most demanding wireless systems, including OFDM-based MIMO systems employing large QAM constellations. The power efficiency gains of the QDA allow significant improvements in bit rates and coverage for wireless systems in <a href="http://general.Room:" target="_blank" title="general.Room:">general.Room: MCLD 3038, Bldg: Hector J. MacLeod Building - MCLD, 2356 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/551233

Zoom Link: <a href="https://ulaval.zoom.us/j/65778451409?pwd=B1j19PbbWPhyXWjxkTf9PjOfIekUCY.1Talk Abstract:Digital twins of the wireless environments offer new capabilities to the communication network design and operation. They could be utilized offline to build site-specific datasets for pre-training and evaluation machine learning models, or online to provide real-time or near real-time priors that aid the various communication system decisions on precoding, channel estimation, spectrum sharing, resource allocation, among many interesting applications. In this talk, I will present key aspects and considerations for modeling, building, calibrating, and utilizing these digital twins to maximize their gains while balancing constraints on cost, latency, and computational overhead. I will also introduce DeepVerse 6G, the world’s first large-scale digital-twin research platform, which provides high-fidelity multi-modal sensing and communication “true” digital twin datasets to accelerate research and development across a wide range of <a href="http://applications.Speaker" target="_blank" title="applications.Speaker">applications.Speaker Biography:Ahmed Alkhateeb received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Cairo University, Egypt, in 2008 and 2012, and his Ph.D. degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin, USA, in 2016. After the Ph.D., he spent some time as a Wireless Communications Researcher at the Connectivity Lab, Facebook, before joining Arizona State University (ASU) in the Spring of 2018, where he is currently an Associate Professor in the School of Electrical, Computer, and Energy Engineering. His research interests are in the broad areas of wireless communications, signal processing, machine learning, and applied math. Dr. Alkhateeb is the recipient of the 2012 MCD Fellowship from The University of Texas at Austin, the 2016 IEEE Signal Processing Society Young Author Best Paper Award for his work on hybrid precoding and channel estimation in millimeter-wave communication systems, and the NSF CAREER Award 2021 to support his research on leveraging machine learning for large-scale MIMO <a href="http://systems.Meeting" target="_blank" title="systems.Meeting">systems.Meeting Link: https://ulaval.zoom.us/j/65778451409?pwd=B1j19PbbWPhyXWjxkTf9PjOfIekUCY.1, Québec City, Quebec, Canada, G1X 4C5

End of term social event for IEEE members to connect, network, and discuss projects and academics in an informal setting. Open to all members and those interested in joining IEEEBldg: Chuck's Roadhouse Bar & Grill, 647 Niagara Street, Welland, Ontario, Canada, L3C 1E2

This work period is aimed for participants or interested groups for the Ottawa Robotics Competition 2026. Teams and their supervisors will be able to ask the organizers questions about the competition details and try out test versions of many of the <a href="http://competitions.Work" target="_blank" title="competitions.Work">competitions.Work Period #1: April 25th Room T102 (First floor)Work Period #2: May 9th T207 (Second floor)Attendees under the age of 18 are expected to be accompanied by a parent or supervisor for the duration of the work period <a href="http://attendance.NOTE:" target="_blank" title="attendance.NOTE:">attendance.NOTE: This event is not held at the same location as the final competition, we would like to thank Algonquin College for allowing us to use their space for this event!Room: 102, Bldg: T, Algonquin college, 1385 Woodroffe avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K2G 1V8

[]You've been using Claude like a search engine with manners. It's time to use it like an operating system. Agents. MCPs. Skills. Claude Code. This is where one-person companies start — and where entire industries <a href="http://shift.Most" target="_blank" title="shift.Most">shift.Most people discover Claude through the chat interface. They ask questions. They get answers. They think: "Nice. It's like a smarter Google." Then they close the tab and move <a href="http://on.They" target="_blank" title="on.They">on.They never find out that Claude can autonomously browse the web, write and execute code, manage files, connect to any app or database on the planet, coordinate multi-step workflows across tools, and operate for hours without a single human <a href="http://keystroke.They" target="_blank" title="keystroke.They">keystroke.They never find out about Claude Code — a CLI agent that can build entire products from a description. Or MCPs — a universal protocol that plugs Claude into Slack, GitHub, Notion, Figma, PostgreSQL, and thousands more. Or Skills — reusable, markdown-based "playbooks" that teach Claude any repeatable workflow you can <a href="http://describe."Claude" target="_blank" title="describe."Claude">describe."Claude Code is, with hindsight, poorly named. It's not purely a coding tool: it's a tool for general computer automation. Anything you can achieve by typing commands into a computer can now be <a href="http://automated."—" target="_blank" title="automated."—">automated."— Simon Willison, software engineer & researcherThis course gives you the full picture — from the concepts down to the commands. By the end, you will see Claude not as a chatbot, but as a platform for building the future of <a href="http://work.Speaker(s):" target="_blank" title="work.Speaker(s):">work.Speaker(s): Younes, Agenda: Module 01Claude Is Not a ChatbotReframe everything you know. Understand the architecture: Claude as a reasoning engine, an action-taker, and an autonomous agent — not a Q&A machine. The mental model that unlocks everything <a href="http://else.Virtual:" target="_blank" title="else.Virtual:">else.Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/553617

Multifunctional Filtering AntennasJawad Y. SiddiquiUniversity of Calcutta, Queen's University and Royal Military College of CanadaSummary:Modern RF systems often require multiple antennas to support various frequency bands. Reconfigurable antennas address this need by providing frequency agility, compact size, and reduced hardware complexity. The proposed antenna achieves this through electrical reconfiguration enabled by the embedded SRRs and PIN <a href="http://diodes.The" target="_blank" title="diodes.The">diodes.The techniques proposed in this work have been implemented on two types of UWB antennas, a printed monopole antenna and a printed antipodal tapered slot antenna (ATSA) to validate the concept on radiators with distinct radiation characteristics: omnidirectional and directional, respectively. In both cases, split ring resonators (SRRs), magnetically coupled to the CPW feed line, function as band-stop filters, introducing a frequency notch in the UWB response around their resonance. When a set of PIN diodes embedded in the feed line are forward biased (ON), the antenna transforms into a narrowband band-pass filter centered at the same resonance frequency, thereby realizing complementary frequency responses from a single antenna <a href="http://structure.A" target="_blank" title="structure.A">structure.A key feature of the design is that it preserves the original radiator geometry. The work demonstrates a compact, versatile, and effective approach to achieving multifunctionality in UWB antennas. The integration of reconfigurable filtering into the feedline enables real-time switching between wideband and narrowband operation, making the design especially suitable for cognitive radio, multi-standard wireless systems, and MIMO <a href="http://applications.Speaker(s):" target="_blank" title="applications.Speaker(s):">applications.Speaker(s): Dr. JawadRoom: EIT-3151, Bldg: EIT, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3G1, Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/553628

Modern satellite communication systems operate in highly dynamic and non-ideal propagation environments, where performance is strongly impacted by a combination of deterministic and stochastic impairments. These include atmospheric attenuation (rain fade, gaseous absorption), Doppler shifts due to platform mobility, phase noise, group delay distortion, non-linearities from high-power amplifiers, and multipath effects in certain scenarios (e.g., maritime or urban reflections for LEO systems).This talk presents how advanced RF channel emulators can be used to accurately reproduce these real-world satellite impairments in a controlled laboratory environment. The objective is to enable repeatable, scalable, and high-fidelity testing of satellite links, terminals, and subsystems without relying on costly and time-constrained over-the-air experiments. The presentation will cover: Physical-layer impairment modeling, Implementation in channel emulators, Test and validation workflows, and Use cases, including validation of adaptive coding and modulation (ACM), beam tracking algorithms, and interference resilience in next-generation satellite systems (e.g., HTS and non-terrestrial networks for 5G/6G). Particular attention will be given to the challenges associated with wideband and high-frequency systems (Ka-/Q-/V-band), where impairments are more pronounced and system margins are <a href="http://tighter.By" target="_blank" title="tighter.By">tighter.By bridging the gap between theoretical channel models and practical system validation, channel emulation emerges as a critical tool for accelerating the development and certification of robust satellite communication <a href="http://technologies.Co-sponsored" target="_blank" title="technologies.Co-sponsored">technologies.Co-sponsored by: INRS/StaracomAgenda: 10 h-12 h : Talk & Discussion12h: PizzaRoom: 6900, Bldg: 6900, 800 Rue De la Gauchetière Ouest, Montréal, Quebec, Canada, H5A 1K8

IEEE Ottawa Section’s Life Members are invited to a tour of the David Florida Laboratory (DFL) spacecraft test facility at Shirleys Bay, <a href="http://Ottawa.DFL" target="_blank" title="Ottawa.DFL">Ottawa.DFL is Canada's world-class spacecraft assembly, integration and testing centre, located on Shirleys Bay Campus in Ottawa. Owned by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) for over 50 years, the DFL has played a key role in advancing telecommunications and satellite remote sensing in Canada. Thanks to its expertise, the DFL also served as a trusted integration and testing centre for space hardware from several other <a href="http://countries.DFL" target="_blank" title="countries.DFL">countries.DFL has been a strategic national asset and integral part of Canada's national and industrial end-to-end space capability for decades, supporting the development of space technology and critical missions for both the government and private sector. The facility has played a pivotal role in establishing Canada’s world-leading national and industrial space capabilities including critical components of the James Webb Space Telescope, all Canadarm space robotics, the RADARSAT family of Earth observation satellites, and multiple generations of essential communications satellites that support every aspect of the daily lives of <a href="http://Canadians.The" target="_blank" title="Canadians.The">Canadians.The Laboratory is now operated by MDA Space, with testing services available to Canadian and international companies and <a href="http://organizations.Special" target="_blank" title="organizations.Special">organizations.Special Instructions:The entire Shirleys Bay campus, including DFL, is a secure facility. Therefore government issued photo identification is required to <a href="http://enter.Non-Canadian" target="_blank" title="enter.Non-Canadian">enter.Non-Canadian foreign nationals are welcome, but required to show a valid <a href="http://passport.Registration" target="_blank" title="passport.Registration">passport.Registration is capped at 30 <a href="http://people.Important" target="_blank" title="people.Important">people.Important registration deadlines:Canadian Citizen or Canadian Permanent Resident - April 21Foreign nationals - April 14Agenda: 1:00 pm - Arrive at DFL/Communications Research Centre Canada (CRC) Shirleys Bay CampusOttawa Life Members chair Wolfram Lunscher (343-254-8569) will be there to direct you- On entering the main campus road from Carling look for Visitor turnoff to the right- Choose visitor parking near the Campus Security Building, then enter that building- Explain to security officer present that you are with IEEE Life Members – Ottawa Section- Request access to DFL, Bldg 65 and present photo id to security officers. Receive campus access badge- Every visitor must swipe their campus access badge at vehicle Gate House to enter campus- Park at designated parking areas. P1 is closest to main DFL entrance, though P2 behind the building is available if P1 is <a href="http://full.Parking" target="_blank" title="full.Parking">full.Parking is free of <a href="http://charge.-" target="_blank" title="charge.-">charge.- Enter at DFL main entrance, South-West side of building, and check in with DFL reception1:30 pm - tour begins- This is a clean-air facility. You will be given appropriate laboratory-wear before entering2:30 (approximately) - tour endBldg:" target="_blank" title="image002.png]Bldg:">image002.png]Bldg: Bldg 65 - David Florida Laboratory, 3701 Carling Ave, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K2H 8S2

IEEE CAS Monthly Ex-Comm Meeting April 2026Room: MacIsaac Room 3004, Bldg: Emeraidea, Sexton Campus, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, B3J 0H4, Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/556581