Several Canadian startups have made announcements in artificial intelligence. Here’s the latest on Canada’s AI movers and shakers.
LeddarTech delivers system-on-chips to Tier 1 manufacturers
Quebec City-based LeddarTech announced it has delivered the first samples of its LCA2 system-on-chip, which uses signal processing software to produce raw LiDAR data such as distance, position, and intensity of echoes for autonomous vehicles.
The LCA2 system-on-chip is available to Tier-1 automotive manufacturers, and the system integrates through a purchase of LeddarTech’s LCA2 evaluation kit. The solution’s delivery will begin in the first half of 2019 in Autonomous Driving and Advanced Driving Assistance Systems.
“We’re proud to be the first company in the industry to deliver 3D solid-state LiDAR SoCs,” said Michael Poulin, the general manager of the automotive business unit at LeddarTech. “This announcement shows that LeddarTech is a company that’s beyond the point of conceptualization and delivers on its ideas and promises.”
LeddarTech said its evaluation kits include a full functional solid-state LiDAR unit integrating an LCA2 chip, signal processing software, and additional software to facilitate evaluation and application development. Tier-1s who order a kit can immediately begin application development and integration of key components.
“LeddarTech’s LCA2 SoCs present an opportunity for our partners to develop their own optimized and tailored LiDAR solution and develop strong in-house LiDAR expertise,” said Poulin. “We now have a wide ecosystem of developers and suppliers adopting our LiDAR platform, which will accelerate optimization and cost reduction of solutions, hence supporting increased speed of adoption of autonomous driving.”
Braingrid announces data analytics Program with WeedMD and Beleave
Toronto-based Braingrid, which offers a sensor platform to allow cannabis producers to measure growth, has announced a new data analytics program with two licensed producers in Ontario.
The data analytics partnership with WeedMD and Beleave allows Braingrid to aggregate, cleanse, and study the producers’ cultivation data. While the partnership will help Braingrid refine its data analytics offering, WeedMD and Beleave can get more insight on how to increase yield and energy efficiency.
“We’re seeing the square footage for cannabis cultivation explode and it’s hard for growers to keep an eye on everything, all the time,” said Michael Kadonoff, founder and CEO of Braingrid. “Our mission is to give the growers better intelligence to easily protect their bottom line wherever they are in the world.”
The data analytics platform stems from a partnership between Braingrid and seed-to-sale enterprise platform Ample Organics from last year. The two companies agreed to co-create a platform based on Braingrid’s wireless sensing and data collection offering, and Ample Organics’ enterprise software platform, which helps producers track fulfillment and compliance. At the time, the project called for Braingrid to capture environmental data and feed this data into Ample Organics’ software.
“Early on, Braingrid and Ample Organics recognized an unprecedented opportunity for mutually advantageous success through a strategic partnership,” said John Prentice, CEO of Ample Organics. “We are pleased to see this project underway and even more excited to see the results it yields.”
With files from Jessica Galang.
