LifeSaver
Enabling businesses, emergency responders and policy leaders to make data-driven decisions in response to COVID-19.
Project Overview
Updated March 31, 2023.
The Problem
What became clear in 2020 is that a one-size-fits-all COVID-19 solution does not make sense for all of Canada.
Given the size and diversity of our country, guidelines work best when they align to the unique circumstances and prevailing conditions in a specific region. Ideally, these guidelines should connect to tools that can help organizations make data-driven decisions.
How We Are Solving It
In response, Unity Technologies (formerly Finger Food Advanced Technology Group) is leading a project called LifeSaver. It aims to fill the information gaps around COVID–19 by consolidating and harmonizing vast arrays of data, bringing together partners such as the University of British Columbia and Team Rubicon to focus on COVID–19 transmission modeling. The final product will be an interactive tool used by businesses, emergency responders and policy leaders to make data-driven decisions that will optimally balance operational needs and health risks.
During the feasibility study phase (March through June 2020), the LifeSaver team built the underlying technical architecture, including relational databases and complex data ingestion models. In Phase 2, the team is building on top of this structure to home in on businesses, emergency response organizations and healthcare institutions, to provide customized tools for their unique operations.
Though its initial focus is on COVID-19, LifeSaver has the potential to expand to include natural disasters and large-scale industrial accidents. The tool could be combined with satellite and weather data to manage forest fires in real time and plan responses to reduce damaging impacts.
The Result
This project aimed to fill information gaps by consolidating and harmonizing vast arrays of data to synthesize and display relevant, meaningful information for businesses and the general public. The project has created a ready-to-use application, called CovidPilot, that provides clear geospatial visualization of the COVID-19 exposure risk that is relevant, predictive and easily understandable for a wide range of users.
Project Lead
Project Partners
-
"The platform’s data-driven predictive modeling provides a forecast view of how a crisis may unfold, days and weeks into the future. This enables front line responders to strategically deploy resources, and blunt the impact of a crisis ahead of time and save lives.” Ryan Petterson, VP Solutions at Unity “The effective use of data can save lives in the management of pandemics and natural disasters. This proposal represents a concerted effort from multiple sector partners to address the critical need for data in creating nimble approaches to emergent health situations.”
Dean of Faculty of Medicine and VP of Health, University of British Columbia View Feasibility Study