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The country showgrounds that is ground zero of a silent battle

The rural idyll of Rosewood Showgrounds seems an unlikely test bed for the rapidly advancing digital realm. But look closer and you might spot the silent technology that can transform our future.

There have been great tech battles in modern history- PC VS Apple, iPhone VS Android.

Rosewood showgrounds is the silent battleground of a new frontier – sigfox VS LoRaWAN.

With almost every asset at the showgrounds (water tanks, toilets, buildings, weather station, and more) emitting small, frequent parcels of data, sigfox and LoRaWAN are competing to be the low-power, long-range method of sending that data to Council.

The showgrounds will help determine the best use for each, and their future applications for Ipswich’s smart infrastructure.

Rosewood Showgrounds is one of the Smart City pilot sites, and has seen a rollout of new technology that Council wants to test as invisible or unobtrusive ways to improve residents’ lives and council services.

For instance, The existing process of booking the hall involves an online form, then travelling all the way to Ipswich CBD to pay the fee and pick up the keys.

Part of the Smart City pilot will be a multi-reader keypad, so users can book and pay online, then either receive a PIN access or a code on their phone that they simply wave at the door to gain access. A seamless, keyless solution that saves both residents and Council time and money.

Rosewood showgrounds is also popular with caravan travellers, and a lot of the technology will make the visitor experience more enjoyable. The people counter on the toilets and waste sensors on bins could prompt Council crews to visit according to need, and the public wifi recently switched on helps travellers stay connected.

Council has even more technology being installed at another Smart City pilot site – North Ipswich Reserve.

Have you ever seen an autonomous mower in action?

At North Ipswich Reserve SAM (Small Autonomous Mower) whirrs along at a slow walking pace in a seemingly random pattern.

Its patch stretches about half the circumference of the main oval, and in the past few months its constant bending and trimming of the grass has improved the long, sloping bank.

SAM can be controlled through an app, allowing actions such as changing cutting heights, sending it home to park and notifying the team if it gets stuck.

SAM is just one of the many technologies at the Smart City pilot site, with public wifi, smart benches with phone charging capabilities, people counters, waste sensors, intelligent light controls and weather station.

There is more to come, with an electric car charger, soil moisture probes and air quality monitoring all on the agenda.

Council looks after 500 parks, sports facilities and community facilities across Ipswich. We want to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of these facilities through smart technology.

Councillor Paul Tully

Economic Development and Digital City Committee chairperson

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