Inventors of a video camera that shot three-dimensional underwater images to assist efforts to repair the ruptured oil well in the Gulf of Mexico will showcase their technology at the upcoming Univation event.
Andrew Woods, a Western Australian Energy Research Alliance Research Fellow with Curtin’s Centre for Marine Science and Technology will give insights into the range of 3D cameras being developed by University spin-off company Deep Vision 3D.
Canadian oil and gas service company Welaptega Marine has eight Deep Vision 3D cameras, two of which were deployed to the Gulf to help assess damage to the oil well.
Mr Woods said Univation would see the company demonstrate its capability to potential business partners – which could help expand the cameras’ use in the oil and gas industry.
“We are also looking for partners to help develop a high definition version of the camera,” he said.
“Our third objective is to deploy the technology more widely in terrestrial mining for controlling remote mining equipment.”
A specific application is in improving the safety of mining machinery such as front-end loaders.
Mr Woods said that 3D cameras mounted at the back and front of loaders would help operators better assess obstacles and terrain than with current 2D cameras.
“Our 3D camera exploits the natural binocular vision a human is born with,” he said.
The 3D cameras’ two lenses capture left and right perspective views which provide the user with greater accuracy, safety, and speed of operation.
To be held on November 3 and 4, Univation will showcase the brightest commercialisation prospects from WA’s four public universities.
The underwater 3D video camera is also a finalist in the WA Innovator of the Year Awards whose winners will be announced on the last day of Univation.
