Grant: Engage Grants Program

Canada's oceans are becoming of increased strategic importance because of the opening of the Northwest Passage and the increased activity surrounding ocean-based resource exploration and extraction on the country's east and west coasts. Similar situations exist worldwide. This has created a significant demand for improved underwater imaging systems that can provide enhanced national security and enable exploration of the deepest parts of the oceans, real-time monitoring of the integrity of ocean-based assets, and the location of ocean-based natural resources. In the proposed project, the researchers (Dr. G.T. Andrews and collaborator Dr. M.J. Clouter, Professor Emeritus, Memorial University), whose expertise lies in optics and materials physics, will partner with Clarenville, Newfoundland-based SubC Control Limited, a company that specializes in underwater imaging systems, with the aim of developing a prototype underwater camera with a viewing angle that is larger than that of cameras currently available on the market. To achieve this goal, the researchers will look in detail at the optics and materials science of the window on the camera housing (which has its exterior surface in contact with the water) and the medium that lies between the interior surface of the window and the camera inside the housing while remaining cognizant of the high pressures to which the window is exposed at ocean depths. By leveraging the researchers' expertise to design a state-of-the-art underwater camera while avoiding prohibitive increases in cost, the company will achieve a significant competitive advantage and enhance its reputation as an innovator in advanced underwater imaging technologies. In addition to the anticipated economic benefits, this project will train company staff in optics and materials science, two areas that are critical to its future success. In a broader sense, this project will contribute to the growing national expertise in ocean science and technology, a field of strategic importance to Canada.