The City of Calgary has officially launched the Council-approved Wave Tech Centre, with funding contributions from Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan) through its Regional Innovation Ecosystems program.
“Congratulations to The City of Calgary on the grand opening of Wave Tech Centre. Technological innovation presents a major opportunity for cities across Canada – and that is especially true for Calgary. This new Centre will play a key role in enabling innovators and local businesses to experiment and test new solutions that improve service delivery for Calgarians” says The Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister for PrairiesCan.
As part of the Smart Cities program led by The City’s Information Technology team, Wave Tech Centre is a facility designed to help City teams explore new and emerging technologies to enhance the lives of Calgarians. Through experimentation, City employees can gain a deeper understanding of how technology can improve the services they deliver and help The City adopt innovative solutions for our community.
“At Wave Tech Centre, City teams will be able to test new ways to use emerging technologies so we can invest in solutions that are the best fit for our city and bring it to where it is needed most, quickly and reliably. The Centre will allow the City to make informed data-driven decisions, ultimately leading to enhanced services for all Calgarians” says Mayor Jyoti Gondek.
Wave Tech Centre will:
- Provide access to emerging technologies for experimentation including digital fabrication, augmented and virtual reality equipment, artificial intelligence, quantum infrastructure, internet of things, cloud computing and software.
- Accelerate the digital transformation of City services to offer modernized services that will help make life better every day for Calgarians.
- Inform City investment decisions and maximize the return on investment for our organization.
“We are thrilled to launch Wave Tech Centre as a safe experimentation space for City employees to access new and emerging technologies. Technologies are advancing more rapidly than ever before, and the ability to explore these technologies at Wave has the potential to make a real positive difference in the delivery of City services” says Jan Bradley, Chief Information Technology Officer, City of Calgary.
Features of Wave Tech Centre include:
Virtual Reality (VR) immersion room
The state-of-the-art VR immersion room is a highlight at Wave Tech Centre. This immersive space is designed to push the boundaries of how we experience and interact with virtual reality. The City of Calgary is currently looking at how we can use Augment Reality / Virtual Reality (AR/VR) technologies through innovative pilot projects, including one where virtual models of city spaces are being used to enhance project planning and more informed decision-making. The City is exploring the use of VR simulations to provide realistic, hands-on experiences for inspecting buildings in a safe environment. Access to the VR immersion room and related technologies can help City teams improve efficiency and productivity, while setting the stage for broader adoption of AR/VR in City operations.
Advanced high compute infrastructure
Wave Tech Centre brings advanced high compute infrastructure to The City, providing the cutting-edge, computational power necessary for pioneering AI and machine learning experiments, hackathons and innovative projects that push the boundaries of technology.
A standout feature of this infrastructure provided through a collaboration with local company Denvr Dataworks is the use of liquid immersion cooling technology that will significantly reduce energy consumption and heat generation compared to traditional air-cooled systems. This not only enhances performance and extends the lifespan of our equipment but also promotes environmental sustainability by lowering our carbon footprint. Moreover, the successful application of this liquid immersion cooling technology can signal a gamechanger for the technology industry where the cooling needs of advanced computing infrastructure can be a challenge.
Robofabrication
In partnership with the University of Calgary, Wave Tech Centre is hosting a robotic arm to explore how The City can use robotics and 3D printing to create interesting and accessible public spaces. The robotic arm combines digital design capabilities with scanning and fabrication technology to create objects in concrete, plastics, foam and wood. This robotic arm allows The City and researchers to gauge how ready The City can be to use robots to help create unique solutions that can improve accessibility, such as 3D printed concrete ramps or recyclable benches, planters and living walls.
“The launch of Wave Tech Centre is an important milestone in providing local innovators the ability to demonstrate how their solutions can benefit cities around the world while enabling The City of Calgary to potentially transform how it delivers services to residents. As a proud Calgarian, I’m excited about the innovations and ideas that will emerge from Wave Tech Centre for the benefit of our community” says George Chahal, Member of Parliament for Calgary Skyview.
Wave Tech Centre is located in downtown Calgary on the main floor of the Andrew Davison Building, close to the Municipal Building and Wave collaborators like Platform Calgary and post-secondary institutions. A multi-day launch event kicked off today and runs until Oct. 30, 2024. Everyone is invited to “catch the Wave” and experience how technology can help move Calgary forward.
To learn more, visit calgary.ca/wave. Stay up to date on LinkedIn and follow the launch events live on YouTube @wavetechcentre.