One company believes the future of artificial intelligence is being built near Canada’s only desert.
That is because TerraSense Analytics, based out of Kelowna, is doing the building.
Established in 2018, TerraSense developed CRWN.ai before spinning it off in 2022 into its own startup focused on predicting failures on transmission towers and eliminating grid inefficiencies.
That strategic manoeuvre freed up critical resources for TerraSense’s other AI-based tech, MIST.
TerraSense debuted MIST at CANSEC 2023 and this year showcased at Collision in Toronto.
MIST, short for Multi-Source Intelligence Surveillance and Targeting, was developed in collaboration with Defence Research and Development Canada’s Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security program as well as UBC.
TerraSense’s MIST platform uses photorealistic computer-generated imagery to initialize an ensemble of neural networks which are trained for multi-target object detection and classification in full-motion video. MIST detects and tracks multiple targets in real-time, including land vehicles in remote and urban environments and maritime vessels in various states of motion and sailing conditions, according to TerraSense.
The technology’s ability to process large amounts of data in real-time and its accuracy in detecting and classifying targets makes it a valuable tool for defence and security organizations worldwide, the company says, especially amid “rising threats of terrorism and asymmetric warfare.”
There’s also ARCTIC MIST, which sounds like a refreshing beverage but in fact targets the maritime industry with field-specific surveillance solutions.
TerraSense is currently actively hiring for a variety of roles, particularly software developers and engineers. The startup believes their “work carries significant responsibility and consequences,” a weight balanced by “a workplace where our team members genuinely enjoy coming to work and collaborating.”
And, acknowledging that the Okanagan grapples with talent issues partly due to location, TerraSense covers the cost of relocating to Kelowna for new hires. In addition, some positions offered are remote.
As of 2023, nearly 800 tech companies comprise OK’s tech ecosystem. Those firms account for more than 30,000 jobs and $5 billion toward annual GDP.
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