RESEARCHERS from Scotland and Wales are hoping to revolutionise the marine renewables sector with a new method of measuring tidal currents using drones.
The project, being led by the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI), will use the aircraft to film the movement of water before applying algorithms to determine its speed.
UHI, along with Swansea and Bangor universities in Wales, hopes the technique will provide a simple and effective way to identify locations for underwater tidal turbines, reducing costs for renewable energy developers and generating opportunities for developing countries.
Tidal stream measurement currently relies on the use of survey vessels or installation of seabed sensors which can be time consuming and expensive.