An innovative remote monitoring system, developed by Alberta-based TOKU Systems Inc., has been steadily gaining traction in the energy industry. Since making high-profile invited presentations at global expos and symposiums this year, the company is looking forward to finalizing deals with major oil and gas producers in 2019.

The TOKU solution features a revolutionary pressure-sensing device that can be used to detect pipeline leaks, assess pumpjack efficiency, and monitor tank levels. The data collected by the devices is sent to a cloud-based platform. An app (web-based and mobile) allows end users to interact with the data on the platform.

While there are other remote wireless monitoring solutions, the TOKU solution stands out in terms of simplicity, accuracy and affordability. It takes only five minutes to install the pressure-sensing devices. Because the accuracy of the data is high, users can gain significant insight into the behaviour of the system that is being monitored. The monthly fees for the service are reasonable given the richness of the data.

TOKU was founded in 2014 and has grown from two employees to 18 in Calgary and Edmonton. As it has grown, the company has received funding from Alberta Innovates' industry associates, voucher and product demonstration programs.

Help from Alberta Innovates has been tremendous because it's allowed us to do much more than we could have with our limited funds," says Peter Choy, General Manager. "We've been able to hire technical staff, expand marketing, and explore international business opportunities.

Choy says the company is now developing a 2.0 version of its system. "We are setting the stage to expand into additional applications in oil and gas as well as into other industries with similar standalone monitoring challenges. We believe that the simplicity, accuracy and affordability of our system will resonate with other industries."