Wednesday, April 16, 2025
A pre-launch demonstration of Canada’s newest remotely operated vehicle (ROV) built for scientific exploration took place Friday, October 4th from 10:00am to 11:00am at the Institute of Ocean Sciences, ahead of the Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) and Canpac Marine expedition to complete maintenance on ONC’s offshore subsea cable infrastructure.
Designed, engineered, and manufactured in British Columbia at Canpac Marine’s North Vancouver facility, the purpose-built ROV designed for depths reaching 6,000 metres showcases the spirit of ocean technological innovation that is thriving in Western Canada.
With 11 high resolution cameras, 300,000 lumens of light, exceptional manipulator dexterity, advanced telemetry, and precise navigation, the vehicle combines state-of-the-art technology with a mission-driven focus on scientific discovery.
During the eight-day expedition aboard the Canpac Valour, the ROV will complete maintenance on ONC’s subsea 800-kilometre long cabled NEPTUNE (North-East Pacific Time-series Undersea Networked Experiments) observatory off the west coast of Vancouver Island.
This “droid of the deep” will be put through its paces during the observatory maintenance, ranging from heavy lifts and instrument swaps to scientific sampling. Ocean fans are invited to see the action via livestream on the ONC website.
Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) operates world-leading observatories on the Pacific, Atlantic, and Arctic coasts of Canada, and the Southern Ocean, collecting ocean data that accelerates scientific discovery and makes possible services and solutions for a resilient planet. ONC’s cabled observatories supply continuous power and Internet connectivity to scientific instruments, cameras, and 12,000-plus ocean sensors. ONC also operates ocean mobile and land-based assets, including coastal radar. ONC is an initiative of the University of Victoria and one of Canada’s Major Research Facilities.
