Calgary’s 5GDZ NAPI Challenge
In collaboration with Rogers, Platform Calgary and Calgary Economic Development Network API Challenge Invites developers and businesses to create innovative solutions using Network Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) in transportation, public safety, and climate sectors.
Area of Focus; Which of the 5G Discovery Zone’s focus areas does your solution support?
Climate Change & Environment
Solution to Challenge Statement; How does your digital application use network APIs to improve services within the selected ecosystem?
The AR+ Environmental Visualization Platform uses Network APIs to create immersive, interactive experiences that help users engage with real-time environmental conditions in Calgary.
By combining AR+portal™ and AR+story™ with Calgary’s open data, it enables efficient environmental monitoring, integrated visualisation, secure data access, and a user-friendly AR interface.
Users can view live data overlays, simulate climate impacts, access historical trends, and contribute observations through citizen science—all powered by seamless, low-latency Network API integration.
APIs to Support Your Solution; What CAMARA or custom APIs support your solution, and how are they used?
• Connected Network Type: Optimises AR delivery based on bandwidth (5G, 4G).
• Connected Network Type Subscriptions: Adapts AR quality dynamically based on real-time connectivity changes.
• Geofencing Subscriptions: Notifies users entering/exiting defined environmental zones.
• Location Retrieval: Anchors AR layers accurately on real-world coordinates.
• Simple Edge Discovery: Utilises edge computing for complex visualisations with low latency.
• Quality on Demand (QoD): Enhances network quality temporarily for high-data AR visuals.
• Connectivity Insights: Improves performance using network analytics.
The next evolution of our AR+IQ platform, developed as part of Calgary's 5G Discovery Zone Network API Challenge: The iSPARX™ AR+ Environmental Visualization Platform. We're leveraging our expertise in immersive technology to tackle one of the most pressing issues of our time – understanding and responding to environmental change.
InVentures 2025 at the BMO Centre
Executive Summary
iSPARX Innovation Inc. proposes the expansion of its AR+ Environmental Visualization Platform, an immersive augmented reality solution that transforms public spaces into dynamic educational and cultural storytelling environments. This initiative aligns with national digital equity goals and leverages Indigenous knowledge systems, spatial computing, and AI to offer accessible, contextually-rich experiences for users of all ages and abilities.
The platform integrates location-based augmented reality, real-time data overlays, and culturally aligned content.
Deployed via mobile and wearables, the platform has been successfully piloted in Aotearoa New Zealand and is ready to scale across Canada. This expansion supports the objectives of the NAPI programme by addressing digital inclusion, environmental awareness, and cultural preservation through innovative public technology.
The proposed plan spans 12 months and includes three site-specific implementations across urban, educational, and cultural precincts in Calgary and beyond. Each deployment will involve Indigenous collaborators, municipal stakeholders, and youth-focused community engagement. Outcomes include increased spatial literacy, community participation in data storytelling, and the development of ethical immersive media design frameworks.
iSPARX is uniquely positioned to deliver this project, drawing on a trans-Pacific team with proven expertise in immersive technology, ethical research practices, and Indigenous innovation. The project is designed for scalability, sustainability, and social impact — meeting both the technical and cultural aspirations of Canada’s digital future.
Beneficiaries
• Environmental Researchers – Field visualisation of data
• Urban Planners / Officials – Data-driven decision support
• Educational Institutions – Place-based environmental learning
• General Public – Awareness of local environmental conditions
• Advocacy Groups – Tools for public demonstrations and outreach
• Property Developers – Insights for sustainable planning
User Benefits and Impact
• Makes complex data accessible via immersive visualisation
• Enables real-time field assessment
• Enhances urban planning and climate adaptation strategies
• Boosts environmental awareness and education
• Encourages stakeholder collaboration
• Supports informed, sustainable decision-making
Scalability and Future Adaptation
• Cloud-based architecture for flexible API/data source integration
• Modular design allows expansion to more environmental themes
• Adaptable to other cities and regions
• Future-ready for AI-driven predictive modelling
• Potential use in emergency management
• IoT integration for finer real-time data
• Multi-user AR spaces for collaborative planning