As September rolls in, we are thrilled to be celebrating 5 years of Curiosity Lab and innovation! This month we want to reflect all of the incredible milestones we have achieved, partners and members who have joined our ecosystem and all of the other incredible tech feats we have achieved through the Curiosity Lab journey. What began as an idea of creating new areas of economic development for the City of Peachtree Corners has become one of the leading smart city ecosystems in the United States, a leader of smart city innovation and a nurturing ecosystem for start-ups and established companies. Thank you to everyone who has supported us during our 5-year journey.
During the past 5 years we have achieved unimaginable world firsts and successes. Our unique achievements have put us not just on the national stage but the international stage and set the precedent for what a smart city blueprint looks like in the United States. Some of our firsts include:
- First city in the United States to have implemented a full C-V2X solution across public infrastructure, via Qualcomm/Jacobs.
- First IoT control room of its kind to be implemented in a U.S. city includes intelligent traffic cameras and traffic signals, along with smart streetlights and data sensors, push video, and invaluable data here where city managers can monitor, analyze and manage the data to make quick decisions.
- First traffic signal preemption by AV vehicles over 5G.
- First public deployment of teleoperated e-scooters.
- First installation of a solar roadway on a public street.
- First deployment of autonomous vehicles from multiple OEMs (original equipment managers/vehicle manufacturers) on a public roadway connected over 5G wireless.
- World’s first below-ground robot delivery system.
However, none of this could have been possible without the help of our partners. Our partners have brought their amazing one-of-a-kind technologies, guidance, support and leadership to help us further our mission. We want to take the time to thank our founding partner T-Mobile, Georgia Tech, UPS, Bosch, and every single one of our partners for being a part of our Curiosity Lab ecosystem. Together over the past five years, we have been able to see unthinkable change in the city and our members.
When it comes to technology testing and demoing, since the 2019, we have welcomed over 145 companies, both domestic and from abroad, to Curiosity Lab at all stages of growth to deploy their technologies. It has been our pleasure to welcome and work with a variety of companies ranging from EV innovators such as i-charging to autonomous mobility leaders like beep to groundbreaking smart city lighting companies such as Juganu.
Over the past five years Curiosity Lab has had the opportunity to launch unforgettable collaborations with our partners and members. Some of our major projects have included:
- Deploying LiDAR solutions to improve VRU safety and traffic intersection efficiencies with our collaboration with Seyond.
- Collaborate with Bosch (Collaborating with) and deploying traffic video sensor technology in the City of Peachtree Corners to make better informed decisions on traffic management.
- Successfully holding two Curiosity Lab Criterium races– the annual US Pro Racing Cycling competition that brings together cyclists of all levels and showcases the latest in VRU technologies from private sector, V2X and sensor innovators, OEMs, hardware and software manufacturers, government transportation officials, bike companies, trade associations, advocacy groups and more that promote roadway safety.
- Collaborated with Clevon (Collaborating with) and T-Mobile on launching an autonomous robot carrier (ARC) designed to collect orders at warehouses, retail stores, dark stores and micro fulfillment centers, and then deliver those goods to people and businesses around the city.
- Launching the Curious Connection event series, aimed at bringing new startups, both local and international, into our ecosystem, while also educating our current startups on the resources the Curiosity Lab and our partners provide to help them succeed.
- Collaborating with Audi and Spoke in developing strategies to realize connected vehicle solutions in Peachtree Corners through advance C-V2X practical deployment pathways.
As we grew, so did our recognition and we are proud to have welcomed not just national startups and companies but as well as international companies that are revolutionizing the smart city space. From Canada to Europe to Asia, we have welcomed a variety of tech innovators that are testing and developing their technology here in the City of Peachtree Corners, revolutionizing what smart city technology is today and what it will be in the future.
Our goal has been and still is to connect people working on cutting-edge technologies to one another and to opportunities to accelerate their growth. We’re honored to have launched our Connected Future Incubator program alongside ATDC and T-Mobile intended to rapidly scale high-potential startups leveraging the power of 5G. The program continues to offer early-stage startups an opportunity to receive curated access to startup coaches and a diverse team ranging from product developers to business leaders. Our start-up program has welcomed over 80+ startups and counting, offering members access to all testing infrastructure, access to design and prototyping labs and facilitating introductions to investors and potential customers.
Through the years we have received multiple awards for our groundbreaking work including the Smart 50 Award, awarded to those launching transformative smart projects each year, the 2023 IDC Smart Cities North America Award for Economic Development, the IEEE Smart Cities 2022 Jury Award recognizing Curiosity Lab on a global scale as setting the blueprint for smart cities across the US.
To this day, we can still claim there is no other smart city environment like ours in the world.
Curiosity Lab has been on an exciting journey since 2019, and we can’t wait to share more on what’s to come for Peachtree Corners and Curiosity Lab through the ever-changing world of smart city innovation and continue to bring the best in safe technologies to residents and visitors.
To stay up to date on new collaborations and announcements head here.