Calgary Recreation is working with Information Technology (IT) at The City of Calgary to test the Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and custom software on its network based on the LoRaWAN® protocol to determine if an in-house, low-cost solutions exists to effectively track pace of play at the Shaganappi Point Golf Course with Semtech’s LoRa® devices and wireless radio frequency technology (LoRa Technology). Understanding the pace of play on a golf course will help staff to tackle pace of play issues in order to elevate customer experience.
Asset Monitoring to Improve Pace of Play
Tracking golf carts embedded with sensors provides valuable insight into pace of play. LoRa-enabled location monitoring sensors provide detailed information about the time it takes for customers to complete the entire course and how long they stop at key locations. When pace of play anomalies are detected, course marshals may be dispatched to support golfers in need of assistance.
Depending on the results of the pace of play Proof of Concept, the information gathered will help The Golf and Sport Development leadership team compare the total cost of ownership of an in-house solution against off-the shelf industry products. The team will consider if an in-house solution of deploying sensors to some or all City-operated golf courses to track pace of play should be pursued.
How It Works
Small LoRa-based sensor units are placed underneath the seat of each golf cart. Sensor data is transmitted via the LoRaWAN protocol wirelessly to a TEKTELIC Communications KONA Mega IoT gateway placed on a 100-meter city-owned radio tower, seven kilometers from the area.
The gateway is connected to a TEKTELIC network server and the GPS sensors are provided by GlobalSat. Custom software, developed by SensorUp, provides the necessary real time and historical course usage data via web-based dashboard that can be viewed on a computer or mobile device.
Living Labs for IoT Innovation
The City of Calgary is one of the first cities in North American to build a municipality-owned, carrier-grade LoRaWAN-based network. Semtech’s LoRa Technology has been in place for over one year and is a part of a City Network of Things (CNoT) platform created by the Innovation & Collaboration team at The City of Calgary.
Calgary envisions its CNoT will be used by many of The City’s 32 business units to eventually connect tens of thousands of sensors. It can also be used as part of Living Labs pilot project. Living Labs is an initiative that offers the City of Calgary’s infrastructure and assets to companies, researchers and individuals to test and try ideas and products in a real-life environment. This helps innovation grow while also supporting investment in Calgary’s local economy.
Explore the City of Calgary’s comprehensive smart city initiative. Download a white paper, read use cases and browse the video library:
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