COVID-19: Automating factories for producing and optimizing personal protective equipment (PPE)

该项目与Nexas Networks Inc.合作。旨在研究大规模生产个人防护装备（PPE）的工厂自动化和产品优化，以满足COVID-19大流行的需求。这项研究将应用工业4.0技术来定制PPE，以控制质量并减少工厂对人类工人的需求。 我们的大多数工厂都没有能力进行大规模定制，其中一些工厂甚至无法在没有人工投入的情况下运作。虽然工业4.0是一个利用互联网和机器学习的已知概念，但今天的许多机器都是封闭源代码的，甚至可能没有通信或连接到网络的能力。该项目旨在填补这一空白，并开发适合现有工厂的方法。Nexas的ORiON生产接口（OPI）单元将用于远程运行工厂，而无需更换机器。计算机视觉算法将在OPI单元中实现，自动检测错误，检查所需的变形，甚至控制质量。将开发一个定制系统，以获取用户的数据，并相应地修改设计，以适应个人需求。将通过制造气管插管罩来测试该解决方案，气管插管罩是一种透明的塑料罩，设计用于覆盖患者的头部，并允许临床医生的手穿过两个圆形端口以执行气道手术。 该项目与Nexas Networks Inc.与制造业研究有关，对蒙特利尔（魁北克）至关重要，蒙特利尔是航空航天、汽车和能源工业的顶级国际中心。在此项目中获得的设计和制造知识将被转移到支持公司，并提供良好的培训机会，未来的HQP在加拿大。

This proposed project in collaboration with Nexas Networks Inc. aims at studying the factory automation and product optimization for mass-producing personal protective equipment (PPE) to address the needs in the COVID-19 pandemic. This research will apply Industry 4.0 technologies to customize PPE with controlled quality and reduced need of human workers in the factory. Most our factories are not capable to do mass customization and some of them cannot even function without human inputs. Although Industry 4.0 is a known concept to make use of Internet and machine learning, many machines today are closed source and may not even have the capability to communicate or connect into the network. This project aims to fill in this gap and to develop methodologies that suit the existing factories down to the ground. The ORiON Production Interface (OPI) unit from Nexas will be applied to remotely run the factory as is without the need of changing the machines. Computer vision algorithms will be implemented in the OPI unit autonomously detect errors, check the desired deformation, and even control the quality. A customization system will be developed to take the user's data and modify the design to fit individual needs accordingly. The solution will be tested by fabricating an endotracheal intubation hood, which is a transparent plastic cover designed to cover a patient's head and allow the clinician's hands passing through two circular ports to perform an airway procedure. This project collaboration with Nexas Networks Inc. is related to manufacturing research and is of importance to Montreal (Quebec), a top international centre for aerospace, automotive, and energy industries. The design and manufacturing knowledge gained in this project will be transferred to the supporting company and provide excellent training opportunities of future's HQP in Canada.