NEWS

Congratulations to Youcef Braham Chaouche, who successfully defended his PhD thesis entitled "Design and optimization of new classes of body antennas based on metamaterials for wireless applications." His work was conducted under the supervision of Mourad Nedil, a professor at the School of Engineering at UQAT. *Program in collaboration with the University of Quebec at Chicoutimi.

Professor Mourad Nedil from the School of Engineering has been awarded a grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada's Research Tools and Instruments Grants Program for the purchase of cutting-edge equipment. His research project aims to enhance the safety of miners working in deep mines through the use of a wireless communication network. The funding will be used to acquire an oscilloscope, an instrument designed to visualize an electrical signal, for conducting measurements to characterize and model dynamic radio channels in the millimeter-wave bands in underground mines.

Intelligent Body Antenna System for Deep Underground Mines. Professor Nedil is an expert in the field of underground telecommunications. His project aims to develop new classes of intelligent body antennas in millimeter waves to enhance the safety of miners working in deep mines. Continuous communication between surface personnel and miners will be maintained, as sensors and actuators can be integrated into the safety clothing of workers, enabling tracking through a wireless network.

Professor Mourad Nedil, School of Engineering: $300,000 for the project Intelligent Body Antenna System for Deep Underground Mines. Underground mining continues to advance to increasingly deeper levels, where temperature and humidity conditions are extreme, and numerous hazards (risk of collapse, fire, explosion, and unbreathable air) exist. Through his project, Professor Nedil aims to develop a new class of intelligent wearable body antennas. These can be deployed more optimally in deep underground mines through the more efficient use of Portable Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) technology.

Our PhD candidate Fabrice Kabonzo Mfuamba received a $2,000 scholarship from Hecla Quebec. Congratulations Fabrice!

Directed by the professor of the School of Engineering Mourad Nedil, this chair aims to strengthen studies in underground wireless connectivity and automation in Quebec, thus making it possible to guide mining industrialists towards the implementation of optimal solutions, new safety and profitability standards to move into the smart mining era.

Innovative solutions for wireless communications in underground mines developed by Professor Mourad Nedil The research of Professor Mourad Nedil, from the School of Engineering, aims to develop innovative solutions for wireless communications in underground mines through the design and implementation of new advanced technologies of wireless communication body networks. (WBAN). The technology could be used in the future in smart mining which uses state-of-the-art 5G technology to connect and communicate between systems involved in mining to ensure efficient and reliable operation. For his research project Wireless Body Area Networks for future mining applications, Professor Nedil was granted $28,000 per year for a period of 5 years, for a total of $140,000.

Mourad Nedil, professor at the School of Engineering, was awarded $162,000 for his project Design and realization of new classes of flexible body antennas for wireless applications in underground mines, the objective of which is to optimize technologies wireless in underground mines. The study aims to provide mining companies with a technology that faces the challenges of underground mines (flooding, heat, risk of landslides, etc.) thereby increasing productivity, reducing operational costs and ensuring a safe environment. safe for staff. This research will be done in collaboration with Professor Fouad Erchiqui from UQAT and Professor Larbi Talbi from the University of Quebec in Outaouais.