Development of Autonomous Underwater Vehicle for benthos sampling

-Continuous benthos sampling using a slurp gun with canisters-

Abstract

Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) observe a wide area by using mounted camera and LED lights and is used for bio-resource survey. However, AUVs is difficult to capture the sample useful for scientists. Previous AUVs can capture only specific benthos that its developer decided the target before resource survey, but scientists for fisheries resource can’t chose sampling target during observation by AUVs. To realize an efficient bio-resources survey, the authors developed AUV that can capture the target instructed by the operator during observation. Because the slurp gun installed on the AUV has no canister, the AUV catches only one sample in one dive. This paper explains developed AUV and slurp gun with the canisters, and reports on sea trials using them.