Ottawa, Ontario May 16, 2019 (Issuewire.com) - The Autonomous Vehicle Innovation Network (AVIN) – AV R&D Partnership fund administered by Ontario Centre of Excellence (OCE) on behalf the Government of Ontario has awarded SmartCone Technologies, Inc. (SmartCone) with a multi-million dollar pilot project to bring a “Safety First” Autonomous Shuttle Service to the downtown area of Whitby, Ontario.
The market’s most advanced end to end Intelligent Safety Infrastructure (ISI) solution of its kind, SmartCone has brought global technology leaders together in partnership for this project. The partners include; Aurrigo Canada, Nokia Canada, Blackberry, Durham Region Transit, Ontario Tech University, the Town of Whitby, and AutoGuardian. SmartCone will also tap into the expertise, students and additional resources at Durham College, Carleton University, College La Cité and the University of Ottawa.
TheSmartCone™ modular IoT Platform will be at the core of the solution, which will work as an extra set of eyes for not only the A/V but for vulnerable road users (VRUs) as well to provide confidence and comfort to all. With support from the host of partners, Whitby will benefit from the most technologically advanced autonomous shuttle solution available.
Quotes
“Congratulations to SmartCone and the Town of Whitby on this innovative partnership,” said Todd Smith, Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. “With over 200 companies developing connected and autonomous vehicle technologies, Ontario is well positioned as a leader in this space. Through Driving Prosperity, our government’s 10-year plan for the auto sector, we are supporting the auto industry by building a competitive business climate, driving innovation, and developing industry talent.”
“The autonomous vehicle pilot project represents another way Whitby is becoming a leader of innovation. We look forward to working with our project partners and the community on this exciting initiative,” saidMayor Don Mitchell (Town of Whiby)
“We are entering an era of profound transformation where automation will be brought about by the digitalization and connection of everything and everyone, with the goal of enhancing the quality of life in safer, healthier and more sustainable communities,” said Shawn Sparling, Head of Nokia’s Enterprise and Public Sector Business for Canada. “It is initiatives like SmartCone’s Autonomous Shuttle Service in the downtown area of Whitby that is playing a role in building and testing the ecosystem needed to address the extremely demanding requirements of the burgeoning CAV market. This successful collaboration demonstrates the strong working relationship between Nokia, Smartcone and all partners in this ecosystem. It also highlights Nokia’s contribution as a developer of high-performance networks, which are essential to smart city and smart mobility solutions.”
“For software-defined vehicles and the Smart Cities they will drive in to come to fruition, vehicles need to be able to securely communicate with other vehicles, infrastructure, and a plethora of smart devices,” said Jim Alfred, vice president and GM of BlackBerry Certicom, BlackBerry. “Pilots such as this one are an excellent way to demonstrate the value of V2X technology and we hope that many more public officials will follow the City of Whitby’s lead to accelerate the secure deployment of AVs.”
“Through AVIN and the Government of Ontario, OCE is proud to support SmartCone in their mission to create the future of safety infrastructure in the transportation industry,” says Dr. Tom Corr, President, and CEO, OCE. “We are excited to see the innovative collaborations between students, researchers, and industry experts as they work to capitalize on this opportunity and support local communities in this province.”
“We are so pleased to continue to support AVIN and our partners in this transformative opportunity,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “Establishing an autonomous shuttle in the Town of Whitby will provide invaluable information about how this type of vehicle performs and operates in a safe, real-world environment and how it can benefit our local communities.”
“The University of Ottawa is excited to work with SmartCone and to initiate collaborations between them and our researchers with world-leading expertise in computer vision, next-generation wireless networks, sensor development, software to validate and verify autonomous systems, and the ethical engineering of robotics and artificial intelligence,” said Marc Dubé, Vice-Dean Research, Faculty of Engineering. “Moreover, this will be an excellent opportunity for our students to work with an innovative, industry leader on real-world challenges involved in the safe and effective deployment of A/V in urban environments.”
“SmartCone is honored to lead this project with the support of AVIN and OCE,” said Jason Lee, SmartCone Founder, and CEO. “Working with these technology leaders will be ground-breaking and together we will show how an autonomous solution can come to market in a real-world and truly integrated environment safely and to the benefit of all.”
About Aurrigo Canada
Aurrigo is the autonomous vehicle division of RDM Group, a privately-owned business based in Coventry that is leading the world when it comes to ‘first and last mile’ transport solutions. With 26 years’ experience in providing automotive technology and transport solutions, the firm designs and develops autonomous vehicles from the ground up, including the autonomous control systems, and offers a full ‘in the field’ operating service. Currently employing 85 people, the company has international offices in Australia, Canada and the United States.
About Nokia, Canada
We create the technology to connect the world. We develop and deliver the industry’s only end-to-end portfolio of network equipment, software, services and licensing that is available globally. Our customers include communications service providers whose combined networks support 6.1 billion subscriptions, as well as enterprises in the private and public sector that use our network portfolio to increase productivity and enrich lives.
About Ontario Tech University
Ontario Tech University advances the discovery and application of knowledge through a technology-enriched learning environment and the delivery of innovative market-driven programs responsive to the needs of students and industry. With more than 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in more than 90 programs, the university promotes social engagement, fosters critical thinking and integrates outcomes-based learning experiences inside and outside the classroom. The university's commitment to accelerating economic growth and social innovation is realized through faculty research collaborations with leading organizations such as Ontario Power Generation, IBM, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and the Durham Regional Police Service. To find out more, visit ontariotechu.ca.
About Town Of Whitby
The Town of Whitby is a lakefront community that is home to more than 128,000 residents and more than 2,000 businesses. Whitby is the second largest municipality in the Regional Municipality of Durham and located in the heart of the region. The Town is committed to building a pedestrian-focused, cycling-oriented an age-friendly community, the revitalization of its two historic downtowns and maximizing its wonderful green spaces. The Town is committed to growing as a smart, urban community where talent and businesses can flourish.(whitby.ca)
About Durham Region Transit
Durham Region Transit (DRT) is one of Ontario's largest transit systems, serving eight area municipalities: Ajax, Brock, Clarington, Oshawa, Pickering, Scugog, Uxbridge, and Whitby. With over 220 vehicles, running more than 532,000 annual service hours at 2,800 stops, DRT safely moves nearly 11 million people across the Region each year.
About Durham College
At Durham College (DC), the student experience comes first. With campuses in Oshawa and Whitby and a learning site in Pickering, the college offers more than 13,600 full-time post-secondary and apprenticeship students access to more than 140 full-time and eight apprenticeship programs in a number of different disciplines, enabling them to develop the skills required to meet the demands of today’s job market. The college has also launched its first four-year degree program, the Honours Bachelor of Health Care Technology Management, in September 2018.
About AutoGuardian
AutoGuardian is paving the way in providing vulnerable road user safety infrastructure as a service for vehicles, assets, and pedestrians that are co-located in high traffic areas. Specializing in deploying and operating intelligent safety infrastructure, the transportation industry will be forever changed.
About SmartCone
SmartCone Technologies Inc. is a unique data sensory company that commercializes new Internet-of-Things (IoT) technologies to power a wide array of sensors, cognitive edge computing, sensor fusion, and artificial intelligence (AI) analytics. TheSmartCone™ modular IoT platform has been used securing dangerous work sites, controlling bicycle lane traffic, smart city infrastructure, managing vehicle fleets, monitoring traffic incident scenes, crowd control, and site security surveillance. Our clients include utility companies, departments of transportation, construction companies, engineering firms, automobile dealerships, and various policing agencies among others. To find out more visit www.thesmartcone.com
Media Contact
SmartCone Technologies, Inc. tenille@thesmartcone.com http://www.thesmartcone.com
