The Forces AVENIR competition aims to acknowledge, honour and promote young people's commitment to projects that enrich knowledge, spur others to success and personal achievement and responsible citizenship, thus helping to make citizens aware, active and responsible, and at once dedicated to their communities and open to the world.

The academic trajectories and achievements of the Poly students selected this year are quite inspiring indeed: their commitments in the academic realm as well as in extracurricular activities have enabled them to reach unexpected heights and to make a real difference in their respective communities. Polytechnique is proud to see their accomplishments highlighted in this way and wishes all the candidates the best of luck.

AVENIR Affaires et vie économique ("Business and Economy")

Mimetyk Labs
Imagine: a next-generation media platform in the form of an interactive surface that reacts transparently to your slightest movements. Today, technology perfected by Mimetyk Labs is making that vision a reality. A firm founded by Alexandre Plouznikoff, a PhD student in Computer Engineering, and Nicolas Plouznikoff, who is working toward a PhD in Electrical Engineering, Mimetyk Labs designs, develops and distributes interactive, immersive media platforms. The systems are both amusing and intuitive in the way they react to, for example, the natural movements of passersby. They can be integrated into almost any setting, and open the way to infinite variations of interactive media on any surface--the ground, a wall or even a table. These products, by their innovative nature, hold the promise of visual communications systems that are more tangible and offer greater interactivity, leading to a new media era with significant impacts--both economic and social. Mimetyk Labs appears poised to become the catalyst of this new media revolution.
www.mimetyk.com

Poly-Chine 2005
The Poly-Chine 2005 mission is made up of a group of future engineers from Polytechnique who are heading to China in the spring of 2005 to conduct institutional and industry visits and gain insight into the strengths and weaknesses of the Chinese economy. Following the mission, a comparative study of Québec and China will be published and made available to the entire community for consultation. Besides the direct impacts on team members academically, professionally and personally, the Poly-Chine 2005 mission will also result in significant positive fallout for the Polytechnique community, the local business community, Québec industry as well as the Government of Québec. As concrete examples of our drive, commitment and openness to the world, the students taking part in Poly-Chine 2005 will be benefiting from the experience gained in their respective careers and acting as responsible, active leaders in their community.
www.polychine.org

AVENIR Entraide, paix et justice ("Mutual Aid, Peace and Justice")

rAzAlpin.org
Skiing for one's country and symbolizing development for an entire people--Philippe Razanakolona has submitted a project that is international in scope and will serve to fund sustainable development projects in Madagascar, pursuant to United Nations "Millennium Development Goals." In 2004, an athlete's (and a coordinator's) Olympic dream took on a new dimension, as Philippe and his brother Mathieu learned they will represent Madagascar in downhill skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics. Mathieu, the athlete, will be skiing in the colours of Madagascar, while Philippe, the coordinator, is developing and managing the project under the aegis of a non-profit group he founded: AzAlpin.org. Mathieu will be one of the rare Africans to compete in a Nordic Olympic discipline, and the first Malagasy on skis at the Winter Games. As the Olympics are the world's most prestigious sporting competition, the project offers one-of-a-kind, major visibility for firms who might want to come on board. In taking part in the Games, the Razanakolona brothers are pursuing a twofold objective: the chance to live the Olympic dream, and a means of funding a development program benefiting Madagascar. RazAlpin.org seeks to play a role in the development of Malagasy youth, provide a model for them and help them improve their living conditions and health. Funding for rAzAlpin.org comes from companies interesting in taking part in the development of a country with such untapped potential. Sport attracts interest, and the Olympic Games offer a unique chance for Madagascar to obtain such positive international visibility.
www.razalpin.org

Maison du Karité (CIPO 2004)
CIPO is a non-profit organization that, since 1991, has allowed a group of 10 or so students to conduct a technical project in a developing country. It's an opportunity to gain initial experience in international cooperation initiatives while providing concrete assistance to the host community. In 2004, after a recommendation by the Canadian Centre for International Studies and Cooperation, CIPO travelled to Mali to build a shea butter processing and storage facility that will house a cooperative of women's producers. The project had a dual objective: economic capacity building among primary actors in the industry involved, but also rallying women in rural communities so that they become involved in the country's socio-political life. The project, entirely managed by the group, enabled students to raise their awareness of international development, acquiring a nuanced outlook on its various components and discovering certain Third World realities. It was a virtual trip through time that helped all participants better grasp the structures of past civilizations--an enriching experience filled with unforgettable moments. The cultural exchanges with the community and their group life enabled them to arrive at a better understanding of the human beings that inhabit this planet--starting with themselves.
http://step.polymtl.ca/~cipo/

AVENIR Sciences et applications technologiques ("Science and Technology")

Groupe Robofoot
It's the attack of the soccer-playing robots! Yes, you read that right: a group of robotics-mad Polytechnique students has created a team of humanoid soccer players. Groupe Robofoot is designing the humanoid players with the goal of beating the reigning World Cup squad--in 2050, that is! For now, though, the project has one principal objective: to field the first Canadian entry in RoboCup, the world championship of soccer-playing robots, to be held this summer in Osaka, Japan. RoboCup is an international competition in which robot teams from various universities (and even some private concerns) play each other in a tournament held each year in a different country. In choosing the world's most popular sport for robot simulation, the competition is able to spark the general public's interest in the most recent developments in mobile robotics. In our current technological era, a project like Robofoot is both an educational and entertaining way of promoting and popularizing science to all ages. Indeed, Groupe Robofoot takes part in a great many educational activities.
http//robofoot.polymtl.ca/

RAZMOKET (Ingénieurs Sans Frontières/Engineers Without Borders)
RAZMOKET ("Rugrat"), as this vehicle was dubbed by its designers, is a tool for safe clearance of vegetation and trip-wires on mined sites. The RAZMOKET odyssey began when a group of Polytechnique students who are all Engineers Without Borders members decided to enter the annual Canada-wide inter-university competition run by Mines Action Canada. The competition rewards designs of tools providing efficient solutions for humanitarian de-mining efforts in developing countries that lack the means to acquire the leading-edge technological devices needed for such efforts. RAZMOKET is a practical, economical solution that is easy to use and maintain, and can even be manufactured and repaired on site. Its design and structure ensure that it is resistant to the majority of mine explosions. As an ambassador for the cause of humanitarian de-mining in the student community, the Polytechnique chapter of Engineers Without Borders seeks to work tirelessly toward the building of a safer world for all.
http://polymtl.ewb.ca/

AVENIR Société, Communication et éducation ("Society, Communications and Education")

Scientitruc (Folie Technique)
Pursuing its ongoing quest for new ideas, the volunteer Folie Technique team came up with a novel project this year: annual publication of a science newsletter in colour destined for youth aged 9 to 15. The publication, named Scientitruc, is handed out free to students the team members meet at primary and secondary schools, as well as to young people attending the Folie Technique science camp. Scientitruc features articles on a variety of science subjects, experiments, and interactive games. The entire contents are written by students from various engineering disciplines as well as by Polytechnique professors who want to share their passion for science. The content is prepared using easy-to-understand vocabulary and is also being made available online, which means a wide audience is reached. It is hoped that Scientitruc will stimulate young people's curiosity by showing how science can be fun, provide them with an initial contact with the world of science, and be a way for Folie Technique campers and counsellors to keep in touch (many of Scientitruc writers are former camp counsellors, and their bylines include the camp names). The very positive response to the newsletter and the many opportunities for involvement that it provides for undergrads mean Scientitruc will remain a major component of Folie Technique's initiatives. Incidentally, the publication has already become an oft-consulted reference tool for teachers in primary and secondary schools.
http://www.folietechnique.qc.ca/

AVENIR Personnalité-1er cycle ("Personality Award: Undergraduate")

Christian Bernier
Mechanical Engineering graduate Christian Bernier has been one of the most influential players in Québec and Canadian volleyball for the past five years. Unlike the majority of his graduating class, he isn't out shopping for a suit and tie in which to "court" engineering firms as prospective employers. Instead, he's lacing up his shoes and heading for the volleyball courts of Europe. Christian has been excelling both academically and athletically since the age of 12. He joined the Université de Montréal Carabins volleyball team upon enrolling at Polytechnique, and since then the accolades haven't stopped: UdeM Student Athlete of the Year, selected to the first all-Canadian team, Québec Volleyball Player of the Year, to name only a few. He also ranks among the top five players on the Canadian inter-university circuit. Keyed by Christian's exploits at the net, the Carabins had an outstanding season--their best in a decade, in fact. He's interested in mechanical sports as well: he's part of the team working on the Formula SAE 2005 power train. Having this degree of success in combining sports as well as academic accomplishment is out of the ordinary, and demands constant commitment. This past April, Polytechnique awarded Christian the Da Vinci Profile of excellence, in recognition of his exceptional academic and extra-curricular performance.

Alexandre Caron Raymond
Mechanical Engineering graduate Alexandre Caron Raymond has had an outstanding academic trajectory at Polytechnique. Starting in his second semester, Alexandre joined the student agenda production committee, putting to work his graphic design talents in streamlining the publication's page layout and creating an attractive cover design. His design expertise also led him to create the most recent editions of the agenda as well as logos for several student committees. This summer, he'll be taking part in the Poly-Chine industry mission, but until then has taken on responsibility for finding sponsors and organizing fundraising events for the initiative. This born entrepreneur also lends his considerable talents to a firm by the name of Profil W, offering services in extranet and e-commerce applications development. He has also been an active participant in promoting Québec's wine producers. His mechanical-engineering-related achievements are just as impressive: Alexandre was the initial leader--and is still the leader--of mechanical design and manufacturing of several parts of a robot measuring just a few millimetres in length developed in the Nanorobotics Lab. He successfully completed all his tasks on that assignment and his contribution to the project was significant. In recognition of these achievements and his outstanding academic record, Alexandre was awarded the Da Vinci Profile of excellence in April.