Unmanned Digital Twinning project.
Imagine a future where someone gets an alert on their computer that an integral piece of underwater equipment is on the verge of needing to be replaced or repaired. Such an advancement in ocean innovation would save marine companies countless dollars and increase safety and environmental stewardship by giving them the ability to better predict and avoid disasters such as oil spills.
A collaboration between Whitecap Scientific, SubC Imaging, Welaptega and SEATAC is gearing up to make this idea a reality. The Unmanned Digital Twinning project, funded by Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, will develop an intuitive bridge between Welaptega’s and Whitecap Scientific’s technology systems to create a highly complex virtual model of offshore equipment. Sensors collect data from the physical equipment and map it onto the virtual model. The digital twin will enable operators to see how the actual equipment is functioning in the ocean.
Access to Nova Scotia Community College facilities.
SEATAC will trial the new technology at the Strait Area Campus in Port Hawkesbury. Home to Canada’s oldest marine training institute, the facility’s indoor wave pool will serve as the controlled environment for the project’s testing phase. Working with SEATAC to evaluate the usability of the digital twin system, students from NSCC will benefit from hands-on experience in research and development.
Optimizing real-asset performance and risk reduction.
The digital twinning of underwater infrastructure has the capability to provide reliable remote monitoring operations and ensure quality assurance, critical aspects in performing marine safety and operations offshore. John Stratton, acting SEATAC program director, looks forward to seeing this technology is action:
“Unmanned digital twinning has the potential to reduce the risk of environmental damage from subsea infrastructure failures, while also making underwater inspections safer to carry out. At SEATAC, we are committed to supporting emerging oceans technology, so we are pleased we can contribute to testing the prototype for this emerging solution.”