Grant: Applied Research Tools and Instruments Grants

Camosun College, located in Victoria, British Columbia (BC) on the unceded territories of the Lekwungen speaking and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples, is at the forefront of skilled worker training with almost 15K learners across more than 160 programs, including more than 1K Indigenous and almost 2K international students. Camosun Innovates, the college applied research and development unit, seeks to acquire Data Acquisition and Digital Characterization Equipment. The focus of this proposal is on the acquisition of an Artec Leo 3D Scanner and a Leica BLK2GO LiDAR scanner, along with associated workstations and software, to provide rapid and accurate digital data acquisition and characterization for applied research projects across the Greater Victoria area. The Artec Leo is a handheld, standalone structured light 3D scanner will allow for rapid, full-colour acquisition of objects, ranging from specialized individual pieces, through full machines and equipment to outdoor subject scans. As a standalone handheld system, the Artec Leo is able to be used in most field conditions for primary data acquisition, with only the data being transported to our facilities for post-processing. The Leica BLK2GO is a handheld 360° LiDAR scanner, ideal for capturing environments, including both indoor applications such as factories, buildings, and marine vessels, or for outdoor environments where aerial views are obscured. Unlike the systems prevalent in the region, including those currently available at CI, this scanner captures data in real-time, allowing for capture speed and accuracy an order of magnitude more effective than our current capacity and other locally available options. Together, this scanning equipment holds the potential to greatly improve the scope and accuracy of CI’s research activities across multiple economic and cultural sectors, with substantial benefits to industry partners, students, the Greater Victoria region and Canada as a whole, providing an innovative and accessible entry point to scanning and data categorization, building the capacity to address training problems facing local industry, improving the ability of Camosun students to find employment, developing new, precise, and effective solutions to a wide range of difficulties facing our partners, growing the capacity and reach of their products and innovations, and assisting cultural organizations in developing innovative new approaches to longstanding problems.