Ross Plattel is a really interesting guy.  He is involved in a lot of different things, many of which involve giving back as a volunteer.  He is into technology, urban planning and smart cities.  He knows a whole lot about many things, and in this episode Al Del Degan explore the Internet of Things, education, city planning and much more. 

For the transcription of this episode please visit: https://www.rainforestab.ca/yyc-blog/podcast-episode-146-transcription

Thank you for listening to the Leaders, Innovators and Big Ideas podcast, supported by Rainforest Alberta. The podcast that highlights those people who are contributing to and/or supporting the innovation ecosystem in Alberta.

Host: Al Del Degan I have been involved in software development for more than 25 years. I have started companies, lead companies and worked for companies - doing many different things. I am honored to be considered a leader in Alberta's innovation ecosystem, and I give back as much, and often as I can. When I am not working or podcasting, you will find me pursuing my passions of photography, crypto investing, and wood working along with the occasional round of golf.

Guest: Ross Plattel has been an avid Rainforester since 2019 and has regularly attended Lunch w/o Lunch along with volunteering to help Rainforest Alberta manage and facilitate online events. In his day job, he works for both the University of Calgary and SAIT in supporting their online courses and online webinars. After starting with SAIT he has also worked on the development, testing, and initial deployment of SAIT's first micro-credentials. Outside of work, Ross volunteers as one of the Co-Leads for CivicTechYYC ( https://civictechyyc.ca/,  https://www.meetup.com/CivicTechYYC-Tech-for-Good/), organizing events monthly for the group of volunteers who work together on urban-related technology projects. As a graduate from the UofC in Urban Studies, Ross continues to research smart cities and the impacts of technology on the urban fabric. Other more recent research has included the impacts of climate-induced human migration. Ross loves going on walks exploring and ideating about the ever-changing urban environment and enjoys biking through Calgary's bike lanes and pathways.

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Show Quotes:

"A lot of the architecture firms had no idea what I was talking about. I even asked them about, uh, VR and augmented reality integration within their design processes. And there was one firm that said like, oh yeah, we have like a computer. We couldn't get working in the back room. And we don't think it's going to be a big thing."

"When you have a sensor that's embedded inside of a concrete wall, it's not really that easy to fix, but at least it gives five years that they can monitor what that's looking like."

"And also we're noticing in university with teaching online that the introverts are the ones that are doing better in the online environment. And it's the extroverts that are having a really hard time."

Credits...

This Episode Sponsored By: Community Now! Magazine

Episode Music: Tony Del Degan

Creator & Producer: Al Del Degan