A Cornish geospatial survey company has won an £80k grant from Marine-i to develop its 3D scanning technology.
Penryn-based 3DMSI was originally focused on mine surveying but has successfully diversified into architectural surveys.
Its latest in innovation involves technology that can provide a 3D scan of the interior and exterior of a ship, including its systems, and synchronise that with the data provided by the ship’s own onboard sensors.
MD, James Jobling-Purser, said: “In the UK, Building Information Modelling is already a legal requirement for state buildings. We would like to offer a parallel service for ships and superyachts. Following the new legal requirements for the government building sector, we predict the same will happen in the marine industry, specifically with naval and commercial ships.
“Our new service uses 3D scan data to model a complete ship, including its systems, and pairs this with information from onboard sensors. Once this total scan package is completed, it can be used by design engineers and shipyards anywhere in the world to offer a superior service to their customers. We call this project ‘3D AMP.’ It is a new technology that many shipyards will be crying out for very soon.”
Part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, Marine-i is designed to help the marine tech sector in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly grow through harnessing the full potential of research and innovation.
Professor Lars Johanning of the University of Exeter, who leads the Marine-i project, said: “This is a model example of the kind of project that Marine-i was set up to nurture – strategic, innovative, loaded with growth potential, and in a specialised field of marine technology where Cornwall has a real opportunity to become world leader.”
