A small device with the word wonderr on it.

Wild Blue Yonder: How Latium’s tech boosts safety and efficiency in heavy industry

Sector
AI and Technology
Published On
June 20, 2019

While Canada’s heavy industry was busy employing thousands and keeping Canada’s economic engine moving, there was one thing the sector still needed: the next generation of technologies to keep up with its unique fleet and safety needs.

Enter Latium: a group of companies with a tech division providing tools to industry that help them see beyond just equipment by using real-time data to solve problems like safety, downtime, inventory, rework and energy consumption, to name a few.

Located in the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, Latium has become the go-to solutions provider for multi-billion dollar companies like Suncor, Enbridge, and the Trans Mountain Pipeline.

Their solution is called Yonder: a platform that pulls data from wireless sensors deployed across a job site, analyses and decodes it, and sends it to a user interface where it organizes the data for easy client viewing. This gives companies a birds-eye view of their fleet operations by tracking and monitoring driver behaviour, idle time, energy consumption, and potential vandalism, as examples.

Yonder,  a technology that pulls data from wireless sensors for heavy industry

Latium’s technology is part of what is known as the Industrial Internet of Things (lIoT): a network of intelligent computers and devices that collect and share huge amounts of data. Accessing this data in one user-friendly space takes the guesswork out of identifying issues so businesses can get working on fixes. Latium has been a trailblazer in this space, creating solutions that didn’t exist before for heavy industry.  

“We weren’t happy with what the market was providing so we started developing our own technologies. We needed certain data and functionality for our clients, and 10 years ago we began developing technologies, starting with the challenge of driver behaviour to reduce fatalities and accidents. We then created a brand new concept, growing the model,” said Lori Pecorilli, co-founder and president of Latium.

By combining technology with 24/7 monitoring and reporting and using big data, accident data and information on driver use, companies using Latium’s technology were able to eliminate driver fatalities and the need for workers to enter hazardous areas to retrieve data. Yonder is also rugged— built to withstand harsh Canadian winters and remote worksites. It also works with multi-communications platforms like WiFi, Bluetooth, cellular, radio, satellite and more — important features for assets in huge mining and industrial operations.

With Latium’s help, Suncor — a major player in Canada’s oilsands — was able to improve the performance of their shovels by 30%, a huge win for productivity. The sensors can be used to monitor equipment and assets on remote and non-remote job sites in any industry, turning job sites into “smart sites.”

Lori Pecorilli, co-founder and president of Latium

Latium credits the Edmonton Metropolitan Region with creating the right ecosystem for innovation and the development of fast-paced tech solutions.

“We have an advantage working in the Edmonton Metropolitan Region because we are trained by the fast-paced energy sector,” says Pecorilli. “Businesses here know how to move and pivot quickly. On the tech side, we benefit from a lot of local, government-based support and are able to hire some great skillsets, either from universities or other diverse demographics.”

What’s next for Latium? The company has set its sights on international markets, including West Africa, South Africa, Mexico and the Silicon Valley.

Alberta Innovates, IRAP, EDC (Economic Development Canada), the Alberta Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, Business Development Canada (BDC) and the University of Alberta have all collaborated with Latium, showing that regional partnerships also play a role in helping support investment and the creation of emerging technologies in the region.

Learn more about Latium’s innovative technologies here: https://www.thelatiumgroup.com/

Sheri Doyle