Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd (KHI) will carry out a verification test of a prototype AUV equipped with a robot arm for subsea pipeline inspection.
KHI has been developing leading-edge component technologies for AUVs with a focus on the growing demand for pipeline maintenance in offshore oil and gas fields.
The test, which is scheduled to take place in October at The Underwater Centre in Fort William, will see KHI use a prototype AUV equipped with a robot arm with an attached inspection tool unit (currently under development), to achieve autonomous locating and tracking of subsea pipelines.
The test will focus on verifying the robot arm’s capability to absorb the movement of the AUV due to tidal currents, and on verifying that the inspection tool unit can continuously track a pipeline under those conditions.
In Tokyo, Scotland’s External Affairs Secretary Fiona Hyslop witnessed the signing of the agreement by Steve Ham, commercial director at The Underwater Centre, and KSI leaders.
Hyslop said: “I am delighted that Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd, one of Japan’s major companies, has decided to develop this innovative technology in Scotland. It is fantastic news for The Underwater Centre in Fort William. Scottish Development International has worked hard behind the scenes to help secure this hugely significant agreement.
“Kawasaki also has excellent links with Edinburgh Centre for Robotics at Heriot-Watt University, which is developing the control software and multi sensor algorithms for the AUV system to enable it to track pipes underwater.
“The Scottish government’s Subsea Action Plan, launched in January 2017, reflects our ambitions to support this important sector, not only in international oil and gas markets, but also to diversify into other sectors including renewables and deep-sea mining.”
Ham added: “The Underwater Centre has been really delighted to support KHI during the testing of their AUV in our seawater test site. We have built up a very good relationship over the development and delivery of the project and we look forward to welcoming them back to Fort William later this year and in future.”