Victoria-based ocean tech company MarineLabs has launched CoastAware™ BuoyCam, the first scalable, end-to-end ocean camera data product that provides subscribers access to 360-degree real-time views through images from sensor locations along coastlines.
The real-time wind and wave data provider was named the Growth Company of the Year at the 2022 Victoria Tech Community Awards.
BuoyCam’s new weather awareness data point improves the way search and rescue, harbour masters, and vessel pilots understand current weather conditions, visually.
The BuoyCam feature enables a visual assessment of ocean conditions for mariners, helps them understand the current state of weather, and provides context to other data within CoastAware. The product helps users confidently and safely navigate using a visual reference to better understand surroundings like fog, debris in the water, and rough conditions.
“Today, vessel pilots and mariners are navigating the coast using data points and maps that inform them on swell, tides, and weather conditions but they have no indicators for visibility on their routes,” says Dr. Scott Beatty, CEO of MarineLabs.
“With MarineLabs’ BuoyCam service, pilots can now put visual context to what’s ahead, and determine whether conditions are safe for operations. This is a huge improvement for the industry”
The CoastAware BuoyCam service is currently in 16 beta testing locations along Canadian coastlines, in both the Atlantic and Pacific regions.
The $1.1 million trial with the Canadian Coast Guard is being funded through the Innovative Solutions Canada (ISC) Test Stream for a year. The Canadian Coast Guard will determine the additional value to Maritime Safety and management of their Aids to Navigation over that time period.
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