Japanese company to test UAV at Scottish site

Kawasaki Heavy Industries' AUV has been designed for subsea pipeline work

A Japanese company plans to carry out tests of a prototype autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) at a site in Scotland.

Kawasaki Heavy Industries' machine, which is equipped with a robot arm, has been designed for subsea pipeline inspection work.

The test, scheduled for October, is to be carried out at The Underwater Centre in Fort William.

Earlier this year, a deal was done to secure the centre's long-term future.

It now operates as a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee.

This means it is funded and supported by its members, which include North Sea offshore industry companies Subsea 7, TechnipFMC and Premier Oil.

More than 50 people are employed at The Underwater Centre

Scottish government agency Highlands and Islands Enterprise has also offered support to the centre.

The centre's facilities include a sheltered seawater dive site with multiple dive depths and a range of subsea structures, a private pier complex and a 1.5 million litre indoor seawater dive tank.

More than 200 diving and remotely-operated vehicle students train at the site, which employs more than 50 people, each year.

Kawasaki Heavy Industries used the centre's facilities for tests last year.

A prototype of the AUV is in development