The University of British Columbia (UBC), Canada has rolled out smart campus solutions for waste management and parking. The new solution is powered by Semtech and eleven-X, a Canadian LoRaWAN network provider for advanced Internet of Things (IoT) solutions.
Across the UBC campus, sensors using Semtech’s LoRa devices and wireless radio frequency technology (LoRa Technology) are installed in waste bins and embedded in pavements to monitor real-time data to gain efficiency and reduce operating costs. Both IoT solutions are connected to eleven-X’s LoRaWAN-based network, and provide real-time data to UBC administrators. In the waste management system, alerts are triggered and pushed to UBC staff when a pre-determined waste level has been reached per bin, indicating waste removal is required.
Levels are monitored in real-time through third-party cloud-enabled applications, optimizing maintenance response. UBC’s smart parking solution is designed to verify which parking spaces are used the most and, specifically, how many spaces are available for those with disabilities. The university plans to use the data collected by the parking sensors to evaluate expansion of parking areas for ease of access and increased efficiency.
According to Brian Jones, Director of UBC’s Parking and Access Services, improving waste and recycling services not only helps the school look more aesthetically pleasing, the LoRa-based solution also enables cost-saving measures in productivity and resource allocation. In streamlining the number of daily pick-ups, the university manages time more effectively, the facilities look better, and cuts costs. For parking, it is really interested to see what it finds in the next few months after analyzing the data.
In addition, UBC is also leading research to establish and evaluate both fixed and mobility use cases that demonstrate how LoRa Technology will play a key role in making cities more resilient in the face of disruptions from man-made and natural events. The research will expand the LoRaWAN network across Canada as cities develop IoT services for their communities.
The eleven-x and UBC LoRa-based solutions are establishing the benchmark for smarter campuses across Canada, and all over the world. The possibilities for LoRa Technology and LoRaWAN use cases are endless and can be deployed now to create a smarter planet.
