The in-stream tidal turbine industry requires high-resolution velocity data to inform the design, build, and operation of turbines. In the models used to design turbines, and as determined from observations of turbines, turbine loading and power performance are dependent on the high-resolution component of velocity.

The acoustic doppler current profiler (ADCP) is the standard sensor for measuring velocity, but its divergent beams inherently limit, and limit through dependence of the ADCP on its orientation with respect to the flow direction, the turbulence information it can acquire. 

The convergent beam Vectron was built to address the need for collecting turbulence at turbine hub height, down to rotor-scale resolution. As a collaborative between Dalhousie University and the Funcy Ocean Research Centre for Energy (FORCE), the purpose of the present Vectron Project was to bring Vectron to a state of approaching industry-readiness.