Development of Bottom-Reliant Type Underwater Robots

Abstract

During the 1960s and 1970s, Japan entered rapidly into ocean development in such areas as ocean surveys, ocean civil engineering, and the development of ocean resources. And then equipment developments and technological advances encouraged by the public and private sectors accompanied Japan’s development efforts. Various underwater robots were developed and put to practical use. There are various type underwater robots such as free-swimming type, bottom-reliant type and towed type. Aiming at robotization in seashore, undersea, and seabed construction works, we have developed various underwater robots with focusing on the bottom-reliant type. As a result, (1) an amphibious bulldozers and an underwater bulldozers as 2-crawler robots same as land construction machines, (2) an underwater rubble leveling robot and a “ReCus” (Remote-Controlled Underwater Surveyer) as an 8-legged walking robot, and (3) a 4-crawler underwater trencher has been developed.