Area X.O – Putting Technology to the Test in Wicked Winter Weather and Every Season
For innovators driving the future, Ottawa’s four-season climate packs a high-value punch. It enables smart mobility innovators to put their technologies to the test in every type of weather, including snow, sleet and ice, increase safety, and facilitate future commercial adoption.
It is critical to rigorously test innovations and evaluate their performance in all weather conditions to ensure safety, accelerate time to market, save costs, and ensure global readiness. This includes extreme winter conditions, temperatures and harsh climates. What better place to do it than Canada’s Capital?
Harness winter!
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Connect with UsDiverse Weather Conditions and Climate
One of the coldest capital cities in the world, Ottawa’s diverse climate creates an ideal environment to test the performance of technologies in every type of weather condition. Throughout the year, Area X.O users develop, test, validate and demonstrate their innovations in a true four-season climate with temperatures that range from -39C to 39 degrees Celsius. Ottawa experiences blistering hot sunny days; thunderstorms, snow, sleet and ice storms; and wicked Arctic blasts with dramatic wind chills.
This creates an ideal R&D environment for smart mobility, connectivity and autonomy innovators. It allows them to gain even greater data, insight, and learnings on the performance and safety of their technology in diverse conditions, and for different markets. Clients put the capabilities of Area X.O to work to address seize new opportunities, accelerate commercialization and address key challenges in all four seasons. These include:
- CAV and smart mobility operations in inclement weather such as snow, ice, fog, and high winds
- The development of sensors and systems that pinpoint the location of hidden objects (such as seeing around corners to spot moving people, vulnerable road users and/or objects)
- Cybersecurity – AVs, smart infrastructure, and the Internet of Things
- Interoperability the ability of computer systems or software to exchange, use and analyze sensor-generated data
- Communication – Vehicle to Everything (V2X); Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V), Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I city), Vehicle-to-Network (GPS/ 4G/ 5G, etc.)
One of the Most Advanced Communications Infrastructures in the World
A four-season climate is just one of the key differentiators at Area X.O that enables rigorous testing and safety. Combining diverse expertise with Ottawa’s telecom and cybersecurity strengths as a global tech hub, this futureplex operates one of the most advanced communication test infrastructures in the world. Companies innovating in sectors such as smart mobility, telecom, smart cities, defence, public safety and smart agriculture, have access to its GPS,4G LET, Wi-Fi, LoRa, WAN, TV White Space, 5G (including millimetre wave) and satellite communication systems.
Safety is the top priority and North Star for Area X.O in every season. It has guided the design and development of the facility; the approach to development, testing and implementation of new technologies; and client and project management. Area X.O is comprised of a private testing facility (for tests that cannot be conducted safely on city streets) and a public test track on open city streets in Canada’s largest technology park. This enables companies to test and validate their innovations in a secure, gated facility and then test in a real-world setting when they are ready.
Testing in all four seasons
Area X.O has evolved its winter testing capabilities, clients and projects.
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