Phantom Photonics Inc.

Published purpose

Phantom Photonics aims to democratize underwater data access to improve safety, sustainability, and infrastructure management. Their focus includes preventing failures in oil and gas systems, safeguarding underwater cables, and supporting marine ecological studies. To achieve this, the Project will develop a quantum LiDAR system for Autonomous Surface Vessels (ASVs), offering high-resolution 3D imaging with SONAR-like range and LiDAR-level precision. The system will be commercialized via a Data-as-a-Service (DaaS) model for scalable, autonomous monitoring. A key goal is building a rugged, waterproof prototype integrating Phantom’s time-bin encoded quantum LiDAR, optimized for low-light and turbid conditions. Engineering efforts include pressure-resistant housing, quantum emitter integration, and embedded electronics for real-time control. Edge computing will enable onboard data processing, reducing communication needs and enhancing fleet coordination. In collaboration with NRC’s Computer Vision and Graphics (CVG) team, image analysis systems will be developed to enhance current sensor technology and to take advantage of the rapidly developing large visual and multimodal models to solve relevant problems such as motion detection, tracking as well as object recognition in challenging underwater environments.