The City of Ottawa and a Ryerson University spin-off company called Flybits announced this week that Ottawa Nav, a free mobile application, is now available to the public.
The app provides users with real-time traffic information about everything ranging from construction updates to collisions to speed limit notifications in school zones.
“Ottawa is the first city in the world to deploy a context-aware computing strategy,” said Hossein Rahnama, founder and CEO, Flybits. “The system senses and interprets contextual parameters – such as location, day, time, mobile and personal preferences – surrounding each individual user, delivering relevant and customized services to make the most out of their mobile experience.
“Ottawa Nav is launching with a focus on intelligent traffic solutions, but the same framework can be used to disseminate all useful information pertaining to Ottawa. By utilizing this powerful tool to connect city services and make them available to residents in real time, the City of Ottawa has become a pioneer in the discovery and actualization of a smarter, more connected city.”
The app splits the city into zones and tracks the user’s location as he or she moves through the zone. It then offers pertinent information in real-time based on the zone in which the user is situated.
The app is convenient for drivers, as it delivers audible information about construction and traffic alerts, speed limits, and collisions. Passengers, meanwhile, can access nearby live traffic camera feeds from both the City of Ottawa the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario.
The system’s scalability also means that the network will be able to remain current with future transportation upgrades.
The application is currently available on iPhone and Android, and there are plans to roll it out to other mobile devices in the near future.
