June 11, 2021 – Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, an industry-led transformative cluster focused on tackling the shared challenges across ocean sectors, has recently announced four new projects with a total value of nearly CAD $3.5 million. One such project is ‘HydroSpark’, which is focusing on providing a mixed reality (MR) 3D visualization of sonar data for Microsoft HoloLens.
The project is being led by Kognitiv Spark, a provider of augmented and mixed reality applications for industry, and will focus on emerging mixed reality technologies to develop a secure ocean data visualization and collaboration application using the Microsoft HoloLens 2 and Microsoft Azure mixed reality services. The application will allow marine operators to visualize underwater environments in 3D mixed reality to support training, mission planning and rehearsal, and support defence and other marine sector underwater operations.
The project aims to increase collaboration, efficiency and task preparation for various subsea operations by delivering accurate holograms of ocean environments and points of interest to divers, ROV operators and subsea workers.
The project will also seek to better understand the digital skill sets required to support the ‘Ocean Worker of the Future’
According to Kognitiv Spark, through project HydroSpark, workers will be able to gain advanced insight and intuitive understanding into underwater tasks delivered through mixed reality, maximizing the benefit of next-generation ocean imaging and mapping technologies.
The project will also seek to better understand the digital skill sets required to support the ‘Ocean Worker of the Future’ along with the education and training provision required to deliver training in the Atlantic Region.
HydroSpark will see Kognitiv Spark partner with another Canadian company, Kraken Robotics, as well as collaboration with applied research teams at the University of New Brunswick and workplace skills specialists at New Brunswick Community College.
Kognitiv Spark stated that with a total project value of more than CAD $850,000, the Ocean Supercluster will provide close to CAD $400,000 thousand in funding, with the balance of funding coming from project partners. The project seeks to establish a technological foothold in defence and commercial ocean sectors and tap into three overlapping global markets – mixed reality, Internet of Things (IoT)/Sensor data, and sonar systems. Furthermore, the project will create up to five new full-time positions with the potential for more than 25 indirect jobs upon commercial success, according to the company.
For more information on Kognitiv Spark and its augmented and mixed reality solutions for marine, industry, manufacturing and defence, please visit the company’s website.
Image / video credit: Kognitiv Spark / YouTube
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Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in research and report writing, he has been covering XR industry news for the past seven years.