Grant: Applied Research and Development Grants - Level 1

E.Y.E. Marine Consultants Ltd. (E.Y.E. Marine) is a consulting firm in Bedford, NS, specializing in marine vessel designs, refits, modifications, feasibility studies, 2D and 3D drafting, and stability analysis. They provide their design and modeling services to companies in many sectors throughout the Maritimes and Canada, such as the Halifax Regional Municipality, the provinces of NS and NB, and BC Ferries. A major component of their business is using lines plans for recently constructed vessels, such as fishing boats, to complete stability analysis required by Transport Canada. Currently, the vessels are measured by hand to obtain the accuracy needed to complete the required analysis. The hand-measuring process is time consuming and requires specialized skills and training; furthermore, there is often a short time window in which the vessel is available to be assessed. Additionally, Transport Canada has recently modified fishing vessel regulations, meaning that the potential exists for E.Y.E. Marine to complete more stability assessments than normal. However, they are limited in their assessment capacity due to a bottleneck in the production of manually generated lines plans for the analysis. E.Y.E. Marine requires a faster method to obtain the vessel's exact dimensions in order to prepare lines plans quicker and avoid a backlog of vessels requiring the stability assessments. The Nova Scotia Community College's (NSCC) Applied Geomatics Research Group (AGRG) specializes in laser surveying and 3D mapping and are equipped to collaborate with E.Y.E. Marine to determine a fast, high resolution (< 1 cm), and low-cost 3D mapping solution for lines plans. AGRG will investigate the potential of various 3D mapping systems for vessel surveys and determine the most efficient and accurate process to collect, manipulate, and generate a 3D model of a vessel. This study will assist E.Y.E. Marine in advancing the way they conduct their stability analysis, expediting the entire process for Atlantic maritime boatyards, and avoiding a backlog of vessels waiting for their assessments.*