Digital Mount Pearl
Welcome to Mount Pearl. We like to think of ourselves as the Smartest Little City in Canada, and we’re working hard to prove it. Last year we embarked on a digital transformation project with a singular focus, to improve our services using technology. We are looking at our city with a new lens, exploring how technology can improve how we operate, and most importantly the value we bring to our residents and businesses. This project is called Digital Mount Pearl and it is home to lots of cool work. Smart City Innovation is changing how we operate, check out what we’re up to below.
One System for Better Service
Did you know the City of Mount Pearl runs over forty unique systems every single day? From inventory management to swimming registration, there is a lot of work behind running a city. As we started down the path of digital transformation one thing was clear – the world would be a better place if all our systems could talk to each other. To do this, we envision replacing most of our current systems and adding new systems to do things better. That’s a lot of systems. To do it right, we need help. We are currently evaluating proposals from partners who submitted in response to our Request for Proposal to help us achieve our ambitious goal.
Walking Before We Run With Pilot Projects
At the City of Mount Pearl, our two favourite words are “Pilot Projects”. There are a lot of great organizations who are looking for partners to test their technology. That’s great news for us! We are open to using pilots wherever possible, aligning with our digital transformation vision, of course. Check out some of the pilot projects we are currently working on, with some pretty amazing partners!
alooki
alooki is a technology start-up that combines the best of IoT, Artificial Intelligence and gamification. Through their passive diversion measurement system, they use video based pattern recognition algorithms to capture the amount of recycling versus solid waste disposal at a household level.
All of that combined allows cities (like Mount Pearl) to better understand how much our residents (by household) are recycling. That is really important information that we can use to help improve recycling rates and work towards reducing greenhouse emissions, saving energy and protecting the environment!
Compusult
Compusult opened its doors in Mount Pearl in 1985 and has taken the world by storm (literally!). As a global leader in geospatial Interoperability, we are so excited to be working with Compusult on several pilot projects, including:
Trail Activity and Maintenance
We would love to know how many people are using our trails and when! That information helps us prioritize trail maintenance and upgrades and let’s us know how many people are on trails and where they are so we can help keep our residents safe.
Waste Management
Instead of manually sending our team out to empty our garbage bins, sensor technology in waste management receptacles around the city will notify us when they are full. This will help us increase efficiency and also make sure we take care of overflowing garbage bins!
Road Usage
City roads can be busy, and sometimes when making important decisions, we need to know how busy. Installing sensors in our portable speed signs will allow us to count traffic and understand more about driving patterns. Knowledge is power, and these improvements give us the knowledge we need to put safety first!
AcceliCity
The City of Mount Pearl is one of two cities that has been selected to participate in an international competition where municipalities present challenges to start-ups who compete for the possibility of a pilot project.
Our challenge is related to water. One of Mount Pearl’s most critical pieces of infrastructure is our water system. Our primary objectives are to improve the monitoring of water quality and reduce water consumption and/or leakage. Start-ups from around the world are currently working on their solutions to our challenge and in Fall 2019 we’ll learn more about how they can help!