抄録
There are concerns about the impact that global warming will have on our environment, and that these will inevitably result in expanding deserts and rising water levels. AUVs (Autonomous Underwater Vehicles) were considered and chosen as the most suitable tool for conducting surveys concerning these global environmental problems. JAMSTEC has started to build a long range cruising AUV. The plan for its development is in several steps. The first stage was the building of an AUV, named URASHIMA, which was built in 1999, with sea trials being held since 2000. URASHIMA dived to 3,518m depth in 2001. At the end of February 2005, the vehicle was able to cruise autonomously and continuously for 317km. The second stage is our current development of several elementary technologies in way of preparation for making the next generation of vehicle. This paper introduces these elementary technologies.
