July 3, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Vancouver) – Canada’s Ocean Supercluster today announced the $1 million AquaEye ROV Mounted Sonar Project led by VodaSafe.
VodaSafe has launched a 12-month collaborative project with SEAMOR Marine to integrate its innovative AquaEye sonar and AI technology with SEAMOR’s remotely operated vehicle (ROV). This integrated solution is designed to support public safety agencies worldwide by enhancing rescue safety and accelerating the recovery of drowning victims.
The project is led by Vancouver, BC-based VodaSafe, in partnership with SEAMOR Marine in Nanaimo. With a total project value of $1 million, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster is investing $534, 225 through the Pan Canadian AI Strategy funding allocation, with the balance of funding coming from project partners.
Each year, hundreds of Canadians drown, with many search efforts ending without resolution. This project aims to transform deep-water search capabilities by offering a faster, more effective alternative to traditional methods. By allowing targets to be identified without requiring direct visibility, AquaEye prioritizes speed and safety, offering critical support for first responders and providing faster closure for families.
Beyond lifesaving applications, the project’s results may also enable AquaEye’s use in academic research, military operations, salvage efforts, and offshore development. This initiative is expected to contribute to ecosystem-wide innovation by enabling further integration with new datasets and technologies, while also helping create four new jobs over the next five years.
Through Ambition 2035 and together with Canada’s ocean community, we are bold in our ambition to grow Canada’s ocean economy 5X to $220 billion by 2035. Continued investment in the accelerated development and commercialization of globally relevant, made in Canada ocean solutions, including the projects announced today, will help us realize this ambition. Read more about recommendations to help achieve this transformational growth opportunity outlined in Charting the Course to 5X Growth in Canada’s Ocean Economy and the projected benefits to Canada here.
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Media Contacts
Nancy Andrews
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
nancy.andrews@oceansupercluster.ca
About Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster accelerates the development and commercialization of made-in-Canada ocean solutions in energy transition, food security, future of transport, and climate change while also growing more companies, creating more jobs, and attracting ocean talent. As Canada’s national ocean cluster, the OSC is a convenor of members, partners, and networks and a catalyst for transformative growth that helps build the robust ecosystem needed to help realize Ambition 2035 – a 5X growth potential in ocean in Canada by 2035. To date, the OSC has approved more than 140 projects valued at more than $500 million, which will deliver more than 300 new made-in-Canada ocean products, processes, and services to sell to the world.
Quotes
“Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, one of Canada’s five global innovation clusters, is embarking on an innovative project that harnesses the transformative power of AI to enhance rescue and recovery operations in deep water. With AI-driven insights, this solution will empower our dedicated rescue teams to improve response times, paving the way for a safer and more resilient future.” – The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions
“This project is a powerful example of how collaborative innovation and co-investment from the Ocean Supercluster can deliver real-world impact. Together, we are not only advancing lifesaving technology, but also strengthening Canada’s position as a global leader in the sustainable, high-tech ocean sector.” – Kendra MacDonald, CEO, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
“AquaEye is extremely excited to kick this project off. Our AquaEye Lite and Pro devices have already helped hundreds of water rescue teams around the world dramatically increase the speed of rescue and recovery efforts. By pursuing this project with SEAMOR Marine we are taking our intelligent sonar and combining it with the advantages of using a sub-surface ROV, for particularly dangerous conditions where you would not want to put any heroes in harms way. We are also excited about the possibilities of the technology beyond water rescue and can’t wait to get started with SEAMOR Marine on this high impact innovation.” – Carlyn Loncaric, CEO and Founder, AquaEye
“We’re excited to partner with VodaSafe on a project that reflects our commitment to building dependable, serviceable ROV technology that makes a real difference. The gratitude we’ve received from families during past recovery efforts alongside skilled dive teams and ROV pilots is a powerful reminder of the impact this work can have, bringing hope and closure when it’s needed most. With support from OSC funding and the integration of VodaSafe’s AI-enhanced sonar, we’re advancing our search and recovery capabilities with one of the most effective technology solutions available.” – Inja Ma, CEO, SEAMOR Marine