Grant: CCI Applied Research and Development Grants

In maritime safety, the challenge of locating a life preserver in the dark can mean the difference between life and death, and night rescues for individuals who have fallen overboard are fraught with difficulty. Addressing this critical issue, a new project aims to enhance the visibility and usability of glow-in-the-dark life rings, making nighttime maritime rescues safer and more efficient. GloRope, a Canadian company that develops battery-free light sources for outdoor safety, is spearheading this initiative by developing an encased charging bracket for their glow-in-the-dark life rings, and characterizing the pigment used in them to establish key specifications, such as the time required to charge, the duration of the glow, and its visibility at various distances. By projecting UV light onto the ring while it is stored on a ship, the project will allow it to be fully charged and ready for deployment at any time. With prior success in developing glow-in-the-dark marine products, including the development of a life ring that has been recently certified by Transport Canada, GloRope is determined to provide whatever contributions are required to make sure that this product is developed to its full potential. Camosun Innovates (CI), with a proven track record of maintaining long-term clients and working on iterative designs within tight timeframes, is one of Canada’s top-fifty college applied research facilities with expertise in electrical and mechanical engineering, computers and electronics, and a documented history of integrating student learning into successful applied research projects. CI will develop a method for testing and characterizing the life ring, and guide the design process and product development to ensure it can be used across a variety of marine vessels. CI will determine what UV lights are most effective for charging, how much energy is required for a complete charge, the duration of such a charge, the intensity of the light emission from the pigment, predicted visibility at distance, and similar safety and operational aspects. This applied research project represents an innovative approach to a longstanding problem, with social, economic, and developmental benefits for Canada and the world.