Kongsberg Geospatial, an Ottawa-based geospatial technology company, announced today that as part of its continued partnership with the new Area X.O test facility (formerly known as Ottawa L5), it will be deploying its IRIS Airspace Management system for real-time tracking and display of airborne and land-based unmanned systems to the Area X.O Operations Center and in the Mobile Command Center vehicle.
Area X.O was officially launched today with an announcement of an initial investment of $17 million dollars, which includes $7 million from the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), and nearly $10 million in in-kind contributions of technology, services and expertise from industry partners including Accenture, BlackBerry QNX, the City of Ottawa, Ericsson, Hexagon | AutonomouStuff, InDro Robotics, Kongsberg Geospatial, Microsoft, Nokia and TÜV SÜD.
The Area X.O Operations Center and test track will be used for ongoing research and development, while the Mobile Command Center will tour Canada to demonstrate to first emergency responders how they can use private wireless and unmanned systems for increased situational awareness when responding to disasters in unsafe conditions.
Kongsberg Geospatial’s IRIS Airspace Management system has been deployed both in the Operations Center at the Area X.O test track, and in the Area X.O Mobile Command Center.
Kongsberg IRIS was developed based on technology originally created for missile defense applications, and has been developed to provide drone operators with enhanced situational awareness while operating unmanned aircraft and land vehicles. The system fuses data from a wide range of real-time sensors to provide drone pilots with a precise real-time picture of their operational airspace when piloting one or more unmanned vehicles beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS).
“Area X.O builds on our inception as the Ottawa L5 Connected and Autonomous Vehicle Test Facility and establishes a bold vision: to unleash and realize the potential, power and impact of visionary technologies to improve our world and human lives”, said Michael Tremblay, President and CEO, Invest Ottawa and Bayview Yards. “Area X.O will enable diverse innovators and firms to develop, test, commercialize and export their solutions across many high-growth global markets. These include smart mobility, advanced communications, smart agriculture, defence and security, and smart cities. This critical federal investment will help us to achieve this vision, and increase the competitiveness of the companies we serve, and Canada’s economy more broadly.”
“We’re proud to be part of the important research and technology development being conducted at Area X.O”, Ranald McGillis, President, Kongsberg Geospatial. “Our IRIS Airspace management for unmanned systems was created to help safely operate drones and autonomous vehicles beyond visual line-of-sight. Area X.O is working with first responders to help effectively integrate unmanned systems into a variety of emergency operations, including search and rescue.”
Kongsberg Gesopatial are the developers of the TerraLens real-time geospatial SDK, and are a subsidiary of Kongsberg Defense and Aerospace.
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About Kongsberg Geospatial: Based in Ottawa, Canada, Kongsberg Geospatial (https://kongsberggeospatial.com) creates precision real-time software for air traffic control and UxS and situational awareness. The Company’s products are primarily deployed in solutions for air-traffic control, Command and Control, and air defense. Over nearly three decades of providing dependable performance under extreme conditions, Kongsberg Geospatial has become the leading geospatial technology provider for mission-critical applications where lives are on the line. Kongsberg Geospatial is a subsidiary of Kongsberg Defence Systems.
About Area X.O: Area X.O (https://areaxo.com) is the futureplex of innovation and collaboration in Canada’s Capital that enables and accelerates the safe and secure development, testing, and application of next-generation technologies. Combining diverse expertise with Ottawa’s telecom and cybersecurity strengths as a tech hub, Area X.O helps local, national, and global startups, SMEs, multinationals, and governments address grand challenges and opportunities. It fuels the creation, commercialization and adoption of breakthrough innovations in mobility, autonomy and connectivity that benefit our community, economy and environment. These applications span telecom; smart agriculture; defence, security, and public safety; unmanned aerial vehicles; and smart cities. Established and managed by Invest Ottawa and evolving from the Ottawa L5 Connected and Autonomous Vehicle Test Facility, Area X.O leverages critical support from world-class founding partners. These include: the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario, the City of Ottawa, Accenture, BlackBerry QNX, Ericsson, Microsoft, Nokia, and Ottawa’s post-secondary institutions.
