A group of subsea companies have joined forces to trial a technique that can speed up underwater mapping.
DOF Subsea, Sonardyne, 2G Robotics and Seatronics brought their gadgets to the Underwater Centre in Fort William to demonstrate the potential of dynamic mobile mapping.
Lasers, sensors and software were combined and mounted on a remotely-operated vehicle before being plunged into Loch Linnhe.
DOF said the group managed to generate high-resolution models from which accurate measurements could be captured in an instant.
They said the technique could assist with the fabrication and installation of spools and jumpers, bringing enormous cost and time savings.
DOF’s Colin Cameron said: “The development of this solution is hugely important for the energy sector, and we were delighted with the data that we were able to gather in Fort William.
“We have proven that the technologies work together in this application and that the method can generate the quality and complexity of data required.
“We believe that using this combination of technology to provide a full metrology solution is an industry first. We can save days on traditional metrology work, and provide much higher quality data.
“This in turn brings savings to the operations teams running the projects.”