Special features: introduction of a computer of the future -- the "wearable computer" that will be with us at all times someday and is the first step to the arrival of the cyborg; a half-dozen soccer-playing robots; revamped bachelor's programs; Québec's first two "green buildings"; 10 different guided tours; a wide variety of research lab demonstrations; 35 information booths covering every facet of the education the "Poly" offers here and abroad; as well as projects by the 17 student committees that make campus life so unique.

The new wearable computer: first demonstration of its kind in Québec
Visitors are sure to note the booth showcasing the star of the day: the ultra-modern computer created by Nicolas Plouznikoff, currently working toward his PhD in electrical engineering. Integrated into futuristic clothes or accessories (in anticipation of one day being part of the body), the computer features a head-mounted screen that covers one eye, and a single-handed, hand-held keyboard. The ultimate aim of the device is to assist users in all aspects of their day-to-day lives by interacting with their environment.

New soccer-playing robots
Another must-see attraction: the soccer game between the six robots of the latest generations produced by École Polytechnique, designed and assembled by two Groupe Robofoot teams! "Robocup" aims to have robot players outstrip their human counterparts by 2050.

New undergraduate programs
By fall 2005, the major overhaul of Polytechnique undergraduate programs will be complete. The implications? Elimination of the core curriculum, with math and science courses adapted to the needs of each department and distributed over four years; the implementation of specialty courses as of year one; the addition of an integrative project; and an obligatory internship of at least four months' duration. The revamped bachelor's programs are expected to provide students with more practical training that's better adapted to the needs of future employers. In addition, an even greater number of students will have the chance to conduct their final year of study abroad in a renowned engineering school where they can obtain a complementary specialization. And students will continue to benefit from the fact Polytechnique is among the Québec institutions that benefits from international agreements that allow students to obtain a double degree -- 150 agreements with institutions in 15 countries!

New concentration in biomedical engineering
As of fall 2005, a new field of concentration will be available to undergraduate students: biomedical engineering. The new concentration will be jointly offered by the departments of Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Engineering Physics and represents 25% of the program.

New doctoral program in computer engineering
Polytechnique's Department of Computer Engineering is about to launch an all-new doctoral program in computer engineering--excellent news in the face of the growing demand for graduates in this field.

Focus on women
The Marianne-Mareschal Chair, whose mission is to promote engineering as an attractive career choice for young women, invites aspiring engineers to two roundtable discussions on the various career options for engineering graduates, from teaching and research to project management and video-game design. These meetings will be led by Geneviève Picard, computer engineering graduate and software developer with Electronik Arts, and Isabelle Dépatie, engineering physics graduate and process development engineer with IBM (working on developing the new generation of processors). Women engineers will also be staffing all the booths. Note that young women represent 22% of the student body at École Polytechnique.

Two new "green buildings"
A booth will showcase the new Pierre-Lassonde and Claudette-MacKay-Lassonde buildings. Spanning 32,700 m2, these "green buildings" increase Polytechnique's current surface area by 35%, bringing future students together on four sites rather than eight. As of fall 2005, the buildings, which are linked to the main building by an underground passage, will house the departments of Computer Engineering and Electrical Engineering as well as IT Services. In addition to classrooms and teaching labs, the buildings feature a student café and a state-of-the-art library that can hold twice as many visitors as the existing space.

Even before they were completed, these buildings were already garnering top honours: designed by Saia Barbarese Topouzanov/Desnoyers Mercure et associés/Menkès Shooner Dagenais architects, the project won Canadian Architect magazine's Award of Merit in December 2003, and received a Pilier d'or in the "Technical Merit and Innovation" category from the Association des gestionnaires de parcs immobiliers / Association of Institutional Property Managers (AGPI/AIPM) last October. These are the first buildings in Québec to comply with the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards set out by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), which seeks to minimize the negative impacts of buildings on the environment, through every stage from drawing board to finished product. The certification process covers a number of categories, including sustainable site, management, water savings, energy efficiency and atmospheric preservation, the use and re-use of materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation.

New student committee projects
As the high point of Poly student life, the technical societies will be on hand to share their interests and projects with visitors. In addition to the Groupe Robofoot soccer team, a range of prototypes will be on display: the Formula SAE racing car, which goes from 0 to 100 km/h in less than four seconds; the SAE Mini Baja ATV, designed to tackle the absolute worst in driving conditions; mobile (walking and wheeled) robots by SAE Robotics; the cargo plane that placed first at last year's SAE-organized Aero Design West competition in Texas; the human-propelled submarine, Archimède, and the solar-powered vehicle Esteban. Visitors can also discover student committee activities with a cultural and educational slant, notably Folie Technique (activities to introduce young people to science), Engineers Without Borders/Ingénieurs Sans Frontières - Polytechnique (awareness-building activities and overseas internships), Poly-théâtre (plays and improv), Poly-sports (badminton, ice hockey, floor hockey, ice climbing, soccer, etc.) and Poly-broue (a microbrewery project). Polytechnique also houses the Association des étudiants de Polytechnique (AEP), the largest engineering students' association in Québec, and the Association des étudiants des cycles supérieurs de Polytechnique (AECSP).

Guided tours will be led by Polytechnique students, who will give visitors a glimpse of daily life at the school. All day long, shuttles between Polytechnique and the Decelles building will allow anyone interested to visit the electrical, software and computer engineering labs.

Founded in 1873, École Polytechnique de Montréal is one of Canada's leading engineering institutions, in terms of both teaching and research. It is the largest engineering school in Québec as far as its student population and the scope of its research activity are concerned. École Polytechnique provides instruction in 11 engineering specialties and is responsible for more than one-quarter of university research in engineering in Québec. The school has 220 professors and nearly 6,000 students. Its operating budget is $80 million, in addition to a
$61-million research and infrastructure fund. Polytechnique is affiliated with Université de Montréal.

WHAT: École Polytechnique open house

WHEN: Sunday, November 21, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

WHERE: École Polytechnique de Montréal
2500, chemin de Polytechnique (access via 2900, boul. Édouard-Montpetit)
Métro Université-de-Montréal

Information:
Chantal Cantin, Director
Communications and Public Relations
(514) 340-4711, ext. 4970

Media information:  
Andrée Peltier
Relations publiques Andrée Peltier
Cellular : (514) 944-8689 
(514) 846-0003
www.polymtl.ca/jpo