PR86527

AUCKLAND, Nov. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

Paerata Rise to become most modern town in region through high-tech collaboration  

Paerata Rise, the largest housing development currently under construction in

Auckland, is set to become the ultimate Smart Village with the creation of New

Zealand's first community based private mobile network and an autonomous

shuttle for residents.

Think Robotics, Dense Air and Ohmio have partnered to develop and build this

cutting-edge system that will provide on demand transport to future residents

of Paerata Rise via a smart phone app. Both the network and the technology it

will power are now in test stages and are set to go live in 2021.

Chris Johnston, Executive Director for Paerata Rise says "Our goal is to be one

of the most desirable places to live in Auckland and becoming a Smart Village

is an extension of this. It means we are able to offer the utmost connection to

our residents through a private network, and the most cutting-edge technologies."

"We are proud to be able to support the unique, first class community being

built at Paerata Rise with the latest concepts in mobile network technology.

While everyone has experienced the frustration of bad coverage, ultimately an

excellent network should go unnoticed – instead allowing users' mobile

applications, services, and other benefits to come to the fore," adds Ross

Spearman, General Manager of Dense Air New Zealand.

"The realities of smart villages and connected neighbourhoods are starting to

emerge in the world around us, however the real 'smarts' need to be built into

the foundations of communities which is why we are executing this project at

this stage of our development," says Johnston.

Throughout the current test phase, those working on the Smart Village project

will utilise the small cell network deployed by Dense Air to trial different

types of electronic methods and sensors to collect data and continue on-road

trials of the autonomous shuttle - which arrived onsite in October and can be

seen in action at Paerata Rise here.

"Insights gained from that data are used to manage assets, resources and

services efficiently; in return, that data is used to improve the operations

across the entire eco-system," says Michael Johnston from Think Robotics.

The self-driving shuttle system is a key element to the state-of-the-art

lifestyle Paerata Rise will offer residents as it will improve access between

facilities such as park and ride spaces and the Paerata train station which is

in plans to be developed.

"The autonomous vehicle will act as both an autonomous transport vehicle,

navigating around a predefined circuit for residents to utilise, and as a

platform for other services, such as connectivity to the outside world, to be

delivered," says Ohmio's Executive Chairman Mohammed Hikmet.

"We were able to test, for the first time in New Zealand, our Hail service that

allows the autonomous vehicle to pick up passengers on demand. Paerata Rise

provided us the right environment to test our technologies and its interaction

with the rest of the eco-system elements."

About Paerata Rise:

The Paerata Rise development is the largest housing development currently under

construction in Auckland. Over the next 25 years the 4,500 homes will be built

over the 300-hectare site. Nestled amongst the 4,500 homes, Paerata Rise

residents will have easy access to primary and secondary schools, tennis

courts, a community swimming pool and a range of outdoor and indoor sporting

facilities. Paerata Rise will be built to embrace a commitment to community

ethics and modern innovation. Visit www.paeratarise.co.nz for more info.

About Think Robotics Limited

Think Robotics is a leader in bringing innovative, cutting edge ideas and

adapting these to form usable end to end business solutions to the New Zealand

market. In a fast-moving landscape, Think Robotics ensures that clients have

access to technologies that promote efficiency and effectiveness, encompassing

a holistic approach. With extensive experience in Wireless networks, edge

computing, Smart eco-systems and Robotics. From farming to engineering,

manufacturing, the hospitality and tourism industry and our homes, Think

Robotics, associated with its parent Think IT, is uniquely positioned to solve

complex problems.

https://www.thinkrobotics.co.nz/ - https://www.thinkit.co.nz/ 

About Ohimo:

Ohmio is New Zealand's only autonomous shuttle manufacturer. Ohmio self-driving

vehicle technology was originally created by HMI Technologies in Pakuranga, a

global technology company and innovator of Intelligent Transport Systems such

as electronic road signs. Ohmio vehicles are able to connect with other

vehicles, infrastructure and traffic management systems. The core philosophy

behind Ohmio is the open platform which allows for interconnectivity with other

systems and providers to create a truly integrated mobility solution. In the

last year Ohmio has partnered with Spark to showcase the first 5G autonomous

shuttle in the world, Christchurch International Airport to deliver the world's

largest 3d printed and autonomous vehicle, and the Korean Transport Institute

to deliver the first international sales of autonomous vehicles by a New Zealand company.  

www.ohmio.com   www.hmi.co.nz 

About Dense Air:

Dense Air New Zealand provides a new class of shared 'neutral host' 4G and 5G

mobile network densification and extension services.  Available on dedicated

licensed radio spectrum assets acquired by Dense Air, our services complement

existing mobile operators, and are designed to improve coverage and capacity in

locations that are technically difficult or commercially uneconomic to support,

or where a dedicated private network is required.

www.denseair.net 

Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzLoQ4PYogE 

Source: Dense Air