Vanguard Magazine

t teChnology WATCH 38 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2016 www.vanguardcanada.com motive sector truly has the same technical problem as other sectors, it is just a dif- ferent business model and approach go- ing from that sector into defence and the other way around" said QRA CEO and co-founder, Jordan Kyriakidis. His biggest advice to early-stage compa- nies entering the sector is to be prepared upfront with enough financing for the long haul in order to be successful in any of these sectors. While QRA is a success story stemming from an initial spark of investment from a defence contractor, followed by a diversi- fication of their revenue base; I found a few other technologies that have come out of the mining and health sectors, but also have application in the defence. tech for mining may have use in the military I caught up with Greg Baiden for instance, who has a PhD in mining and over 35 years working in nickel mining. He is based in Sudbury, now running a small Canadian tech company called Penguin ASI. Greg is an inventor of innovative net- work systems for mines, which allow vari- ous mobile pieces of equipment (think: drills, front end loaders and automated trucks) to communicate with each other. He now develops what he refers to as "telerobotics," which allow an operator to control a machine from a great distance over a computer network. Mining can be a very dangerous endeav- or, particularly in releasing what they refer to as "hang ups," essentially rock block- ages that are inhibiting the release of cer- tain rocks. His company's latest robot is designed specifically to assess and remove these blockages without risking a human life in the process. The robot's arm will reach 30 feet up in the air, controlled by 3D vision systems, allowing miners to drill holes, and load them up with explosives. The application in defence is very real, with a lot of interest right now in some- thing called a "Net centric battlefield" (i.e. centralizing the command centres across the Navy, Airforce and Army into one net- work system). These robots are capable of reaching inside of unsafe areas and map- ping them, then leveraging 3D gaming models from a gaming software that allows the operator to run the video game, pro- viding instructions to the robotic system. It really is the future of warfare. If mine can be compared to a "missile launcher in a battlefield, then there is no difference to how technology like this can be valu- able. After all, like Penguin ASI Founder admits: "The comms systems in a mine are really not very different from the require- ments on an Aircraft carrier". Another up and coming technology coming out of the health sector, Antris, is designed to help support organizations with work-alone or at-risk personnel. It communicates with a user's mobile or GPS device, and when required, automatically updates designated contacts of their trip plan progress. The Antris escalating alert process is automated to react immediately if a user misses a planned check -in or initiates a panic alarm, so they get the help they need, where and when they need it. The solution works with an organization's ex- isting devices – mobile phones, computers, tablets, satellite phones, and GPS devices. Users can communicate with Antris via multiple platforms: web and mobile appli- cations, two-way text messaging and voice call-in. For remote personnel with limited or no cell connectivity, Antris offers integra- tion with GPS devices and satellite phones. Health and social service workers use Ant- ris for safe check-ins in at-risk locations in urban settings within cell coverage. Antris works with search-and-rescue professionals as an incident prevention tool that mitigates false alarms and keeps users safe. While ac- tive today in social services, there are huge opportunities in the defence and search- and-rescue sectors. OMX is another great example (if I can say so myself) of technology with applica- tion in various sectors. The unique sup- ply chain management tools that we have developed, including our RFP engine has recently (within the first week of January 2016) secured new major OEM customers from both the mining and oil and gas sec- tors. In the coming months, our users can expect many new opportunities showing up on our platform from those sectors, but also those which have application to SMEs operating in the defence sector. After all, most businesses don't sell a product, they sell a capability. Keith Donaldson, vice-president of sales and business development at Apex Indus- tries Inc., an SME that has been active in Canada for over 54 years, weighed in on how critical diversification has been for the long term sustainability of Apex. The company's capabilities extend to complex custom CNC machining, sheet metal, full assembly and design/integra- tion. Apex currently works in aerospace, defence, security, marine, optical and the automation industry. Keith reflected that: "Much of this work has overlapping techniques, expertise and demands (e.g. priority of on-time delivery, price, quality and continuous innovation). Our motto, "Strength in Diversity," reflects our corporate stance on diversification. While we are an SME with over 200 em- ployees, we are truly five small businesses in one. It is our diversification that helps us navigate the ebb and flow of cyclical mar- "…over 80 per cent of innovation is 'adopt and adapt' with somewhere less than 20 per cent amounting to eureka moments"

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