Our Projects
BCThubs
BCThubs aims to build in the participating Widening countries (i.e. Greece, Bulgaria and
Malta), Blue Culture Technology Excellence Hubs, as permanent structures, supporting with
new innovative solutions and products, the sustainable protection, restoration, valorisation,
management, accessibility and promotion of UWCH. Although the new Hubs will be scoped
regionally, they will be interconnected and oriented towards national and international
synergies (i.e. beyond regional borders), pursuing cross-border collaborations on common
strategic goals and alongside value adding chains. Each Excellence Hub will bring together all
regional/national actors related to Blue Culture and UWCH, including research/academia,
businesses, public sector, and societal actors (i.e. 4-helix approach), which will mutually
reinforce their capacities and effectiveness, towards raising innovation excellence in
sustainable Blue Economy/Culture in respective regions.
The project receives funding from the Horizon Europe program of the European Commission
and it involves 15 partners from Greece, Malta, Bulgaria and Italy including Skopelos Dive
Center.
i-scubadiving
i-ScubaDiving is an Innovative Remote Immersion System in Underwater Environments that
will enable divers, using common underwater cameras and through a crowdsourcing
platform, to create and share their own three-dimensional (3D) model of an underwater of
cultural, environmental or diving interest.
Through the i-ScubaDiving system, users, such as amateur and experienced scuba divers,
marine research groups, diving centers, will be able to remotely create and display on a
global GIS map the 3D model and other material from an underwater point, such as photos ,
videos and texts. The possibility of creating a virtual reality (VR) environment based on the
3D model, with augmented information (AR) information is also provided.
The system being developed can be used for various purposes, in the context of underwater
research and education, for recreational purposes as well as for the protection of marine
cultural and natural heritage and the promotion of diving destinations.
i-ScubaDiving is an approved project of the "Investment Projects for Innovation" Action
of E.P. Central Macedonia 2014-2020 (Practice code: KMP 6-0082362). The project started in
May 2022 and will be completed in April 2024. Partners of the project are National Center
for Research and Technological Development – EKETA, Skopelos Dive Center, Aristotle
University of Thessaloniki and the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities- Ministry of Culture.
iblueculture
The purpose of i-blueCulture is to offer an insurmountable "dry" experience of underwater reality to the visitor with the possibility of augmented reality elements within a geo-mentioned marine space and "within", as well as in a museum or visitor information center on land, where the ability to "navigate" within a live relayed underwater image will be provided.
The i-blueCulture project (Project Code: T2EDK-03610) is implemented in the framework of the RESEARCH - CREATE - INNOVATE Action and is co-financed by the European Union and national resources through the OP.
Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship & Innovation (EPANEK).
The project started in November 2020 and is expected to be completed in April 2023. Partners of the project are Skopelos Diving Center, CERTH, the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities, the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, the Technical University of Crete, and Arx.net.
U-archaeoRov
The purpose of the project uArchaeoRoV (Project Code: Τ2ΕΔΚ-03656) in which the Skopelos Diving Center participates together with CERTH, IENAE, NCSR Demokritos, and the Planet Blue Dive Center is the development of an underwater ROV with tactile arms (u-archaeoROV),
stereoscopic cameras and projectors as well as interfaces with which it will be possible to control by a remote operator as well as communication with the diver. The remote-operated submarine (u-
archaeoROV) will be able to approach ancient shipwrecks or other underwater sites or submerged objects to a depth that a diver researcher / archaeologist cannot reach and operate effectively. Purpose of u-
archaeoROV is the support of marine archaeological research review and excavation in collaboration with either marine archaeologists or independently with only remote-controlled operation from the support vessel.
The project u-
archaeoROV is implemented in the framework of the RESEARCH - CREATE - INNOVATE Action and is co-financed by the European Union and national resources through the OP. Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship & Innovation (EPANEK).
The project started in October 2021 and is expected to be completed in April 2024.
PADI Aware - Dive Against Debris Surveys
Skopelos Dive Center since the beginning of its operation, in 2014, not only in Skopelos but also in Alonissos (Ikion Diving), participates in an active network of dive centers that not only organize and implement underwater cleanings in targeted areas of N. Sporades (e.g. https://www.diveagainstdebris.org/diver/skopelos-dive-center, https://www.diveagainstdebris.org/diver/ikiondiving ), but also contributes substantially in citizen science providing to the scientific community (PADI Aware Platform) with the quantitative and qualitative results of the recording and the statistical analysis of the collected waste that were removed all these years from partners and friends of the dive center. Recently, the center participated in the EVMR network that aims at the creation of the first recording waste platform in Greece, always in cooperation with NGO iSEA.
Reshape Plastic Skopelos
The Skopelos Diving Center coordinates the pilot project "Reshape Plastic Skopelos", which concerns the local management of some of the plastic waste collected on the island, for the purpose of their mechanical recycling through the use of Low-cost open source machines of the PreciousPlastic community for reproduction-processing of this recyclable material into simple and useful objects. The "Reshape Plastic Skopelos" proposal was approved, along with 11 other innovative projects from all Mediterranean countries, by Beyond Plastic Med (BeMed),
which for the 5th consecutive year strengthens small-scale initiatives but with escalating prospects against plastic pollution.
The project started in May 2021 and will last 18 months and is funded by Beyond Plastic MED.
4helix
Digitalization of “Christoforos” shipwreck in Skopelos island
Skopelos Dive Center in collaboration with 3DR created a system for virtual dive in the
modern shipwreck of “Christoforos” located in Skopelos island at Panormos Bay. This project
will attract both divers and non-divers, giving them the opportunity of the virtual experience
of a dive in deep sea (dry dive). The virtual dive application is integrated into an Oculus
Quest device allowing the user the chance to feel the enthusiasm of how a diver feels while
exploring the underwater world.
#Zeroplastic - in cooperation with NGO iSEA
The #zeroplastic project aims at raising awareness of the dive centers and their visitors on matters of marine plastic but mainly it aims at the active involvement of the dive centers on the reduction of plastic waste in their activities. Among its action plan is monitoring every month the plastic waste through encouraging diving centers to record their plastic waste that are used or being produced during their operation, decrease the use of plastic folds and replace of those that are used or might contain microplastic. Also, part of its action plan is also for the dive center to inform their clients or visitors in plastic matters, participate in underwater and coastal cleanings and record their finds, and also plan events in order to raise awareness to other touristic sectors on matters relevant to plastic and microplastic pollution.
RoV Services
Remote Operated Vehicles (ROV) are one of the latest state-of-the-art technologies supporting the research and recording of the underwater wealth of our seas. The ROV vehicles concern all portable devices operated by specialized operators during underwater surveys, collecting digital data that are used for the more accurate and efficient processing and publication of the final findings of the survey. Skopelos Dive Center has all the necessary know-how on the use of such vehicles that has been gained through the participation of research projects.
Augmentet Reality (AR) leaflet - "CCI4TOURISM" project
The project involves the creation of an alternative Augmented Reality (AR) Leaflet with accompanying smartphone application. The creation of the AR leaflet is an innovative proposal for the promotion of diving destinations and tourism, following current trends for the integration of technology and Creative Industries in tourism. EnaliaTec in collaboration with Skopelos Dive Center has developed a modern marketing tool that aims to promote the services provided by the diving center and at the same time highlight Underwater Cultural and Natural Heritage, which is not easily accessible to the public. The AR leaflet consists of a printed version in English and Greek, which is accompanied by a mobile application available on Google Play and App Store.
The Augmented Reality Leaflet was developed through an Open Call for Voucher Grants in the framework the project ‘CCI4TOURISM – Strengthen entrepreneurial skills of Cultural and Creative Industries for the valorization of cultural heritage and the development of sustainable tourism models in the Adriatic-Ionian regions”, which is implemented under the Interreg ADRION Programme by KEPA.
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