A picture is worth… a couple hundred site visits
How much is a picture worth?
The eight-year-old company — based in London ON with satellite offices at MaRS and in London, UK — will provide access to a complete set of super-high resolution photographs of all property parcels and 3,200 kilometres of roads within the City limits.
The goal? For city engineers, planners, asset managers, bylaw enforcement officers among others to save time (and money) by using images vs. site visits to evaluate infrastructure and manage priorities.
With 25 employees and a fleet of 40 vehicles, iLOOKABOUT generates a 10 megapixel photo every 15 feet of road. The images then map to the City’s existing Geographic Information System, allowing engineers and others to scan, locate, zoom in on and scrutinize cracks and crevices in structures from buildings and bridges to sidewalks and manholes.
iLOOKABOUT President and CEO Jeff Young estimates the engineering department alone at the City of Hamilton will save 220 site visits per month.
“Hamilton is a progressive city, a technology leader and an ideal customer for our company,” Young said. As part of the agreement, iLOOKABOUT has been granted access to City staff for municipal research purposes and joint research and development programs. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Linda Quattrin worked as a long-time newspaper reporter and editor before applying her interest in science as a medical research communicator. A member of the Canadian Science Writers Association, she is responsible for media relations and corporate communications at MaRS.