IT & Communications

Few things change faster than information and communication technologies. The NRC Information and Communication Technology Program was established to help ensure that Canada remains at the leading edge of the information revolution.

The program is delivered by the NRC Institute for Microstructural Sciences (NRC-IMS) and the NRC Institute for Information Technology (NRC- IIT). The institutes work in collaboration with universities and industry to address all aspects of information and communications technologies. NRC-IMS specializes research and development of advanced hardware and NRC-ITT, specializes in software and systems technologies.

The NRC Information and Communication Technology Program also operates an Industry Partnership Facility (NRC-IPF) in Ottawa which works with companies starting out in the information and communications technology sector.

DID YOU KNOW?

Quantum Dot Research

		NRC Institute for Microstructural Sciences
		Materials and Processes
		Components
		Technology Base

Quantum dots are about as small as you can get – one-billionth of a metre, to be exact. And, because they are so small and dissipate less heat, they can be packed together tightly to create smaller devices, for instance in electronics fibre optics. 

A research team at NRC-Institute for Microstructural Sciences (NRC-IMS), working with researchers at the Universityof Wurzburgin Germany, has attracted international attention for its work. The team developed a way to probe a single quantum dot and gradually increase the number of electrons and holes populating it. By carefully controlling the process, the team was able to study the interaction of the electrons and holes, providing important insight into the physics of such quantum systems. 

Their work will play a crucial role in future technologies, by allowing data to be transmitted more efficiently and at higher rates through optical fibre networks. 

DID YOU KNOW?

Giving Astronauts a Helping Hand

		NRC Institute for Information Technology
		3D Technologies
		Artificial Intelligence Technologies
		Broadband Visual Communications
		Computational Video
		e-Government/e-citizen
		e-Health
		e-Learning
		High Performance Computing
		Human Web
		Human Computer Interaction
		Information Analysis and Retrieval
		Interactive Language Technologies
		Internet Logic
		Security and Privacy
		Software Engineering
		Wireless Communications
		Language Technologies Research Centre
		Artificial Intelligence Technologies

It's hard to know where to look first – especially when you can't see what you're looking at. That's the situation facing astronauts on the International Space Station. With few windows, their only way to see what's outside is by using a camera. But with 18 cameras to choose among, each at a different location – four on the Canadarm 2 alone – each aimed at a different angle and each giving a different field of view, it can be hard to know which to use – and trial-and-error guessing games are time-consuming and ineffective.

Luckily, there's a better way. Jean François Lapointe, a researcher from NRC-IIT, has developed a new tool that shows camera locations and the area covered by each on an interactive 3D display. Users can easily navigate through the scene, finding and then clicking on the right camera to bring it into operation – just one example of how interactive 3D can increase the situational awareness of users through visualization.

Language Technologies Research Centre

The Language Technologies Research Centre (LTRC) was created to strengthen the Canadian language industry in support of Canada's Action Plan on Official Languages. The LTRC is a partnership between NRC-IIT, the Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO), the Translation Bureau of Canada (TBC) and the Language Industry Association (AILIA).

The mission of the new Centre, based out of Gatineau, Québec, is to enable Canada to become a world leader in the development of language technologies. To meet this goal, the LTRC aims to develop a centralized hub of technologies and expertise by encouraging collaboration among private sector businesses, universities, and other research centres active in the Canadian language industry.