The Canadian government is investing in technology across multiple areas, such as transportation. There’s also a Canadian company looking to do something about space debris and a boxer using technology in place of sparring during the pandemic.
Canadian Government Invests In Technology To Improve On-Ice Transportation
The Canadian government is investing in technology to make it safer for people in the North to travel through icy conditions. Residents of the North travel to get food, visit people in other communities and engage in cultural activities. Climate change is making this travel unpredictable and unsafe.
The government of Canada is investing $C671,751 in SmartICE technology. The technology will be used in Inuit Nunangat, which is in the far north of Canada. Unpredictable ice conditions pose a hazard to people in this community, including hunters and harvesters. The way of life of the Inuit Nunangat is threatened without technology like SmartICE.
BVLOS Commercial Drone Operations Approved By Transport Canada
Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drones fly in uncontrolled airspaces. The technology uses infrastructure masking and detect-and-avoid (DAA) technology created by Iris Automation. Transport Canada recently issued its second Special Flight Operations Certificate for BVLOS flights to Iris Automation. Iris Automation partnered with the UAS Center of Excellence to obtain this certification.
Iris Automation can now conduct BVLOS flights beyond the CED alma test range it has been operating in. DAA provides for air risk mitigation when drones are out of sight of ground-based visual observers and radar. It’s expected BVLOS flights will eventually be used for package deliveries, emergency response, infrastructure inspections, agriculture, mapping and mining.
Canada’s NorthStar Earth & Space Tackles Space Debris
The first space launch occurred in 1958. Since then, space around Earth has become littered with space debris. NorthStar Earth & Space is trying to solve this problem using cutting-edge technology. They are building a satellite constellation called Skylark that will be dedicated to threats of collisions, congestion and space traffic management.
Private companies around the world are entering the commercial space industry. Space Situational Awareness (SSA) is a technology that tracks natural and artificial objects in Earth’s orbit. The technology can predict where each object its tracking will be at any given time. Skylark will consist of 12 satellites with optical sensors that track objects that pose a threat.
Boxer Mandy Bujold Uses Technology Instead Of Sparring To Train
The ongoing pandemic has made it difficult for many athletes to train for the upcoming Summer Olympics. Canadian Boxer Mandy Bujold is using technology to train instead. Her gloves have sensors that measure how fast she punches and with how much power. She said she needs to keep her output high and maintain a certain amount of power to excel in her sport.
She is a two-time winner of the Pan Am Games. She plans to compete in the Tokyo Olympics when they are held next summer. She uses NeuroTracker to stay mentally focused. The technology involves keeping track of virtual moving balls using 3D goggles. Bujold also uses BlazePods, which is a high-tech version of Whack-A-Mole.
