Abstract
JAMSTEC has developed Autonomous Underwater Vehicle "JINBEI". The vehicle is a cruising type AUV with a weight of 2 ton and a length of 4.0m. The maximum operation depth is 3,000 meters. The major purposes are observation of underwater CO2 distribution in deep sea and exploration of seabed mineral resources. It has four rear-thrusters, two mid-ship azimuthal thrusters, and a rear X-rudder. The AUV is equipped with three main sensors; a multi-beam echo sounder, a side scan sonar, and a hybrid CO2-pH sensor. During KY14-15 cruise in December 2015, we carried out sea trials at Suruga Bay. The depth of the area is 1,300-1,500m. The vehicle succeeded in full-autonomous dive and acoustic observation with high-resolution. Through the dives, we confirmed that the cruising AUV "JINBEI" is one of powerful tool for survey of scientific observations.
