According to recent survey results, potential sites for seabed mineral resources are widely distributed in Japan's territorial waters and exclusive economic zone. Prior to full-scale, commercial development of these seabed mineral resources, it is essential to survey deposits in a highly reliable and accurate manner.
The AUV (Autonomous Underwater Vehicle) is one of the most effective platforms for such purposes, since it makes it possible to maximize the survey and analysis by positioning itself as close to the seabed as possible. In an attempt to enable high-efficiency and high-resolution seabed surveys that can contribute to the future development and exploration of mineral resources, the authors have been working on the research and development of compact and lightweight AUV systems. In this paper, we introduce our state-of-the-art cruising AUV called NMRI C-AUV #04, including the results of its sea trials and the details of its main features.
