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Autonomous Underwater Vehicle “BOSS-A” for Acoustic and Visual Survey of Manganese Crusts
Yuya Nishida*, Kenji Nagahashi**, Takumi Sato**, Adrian Bodenmann**, Blair Thornton**, Akira Asada**, and Tamaki Ura*
*Kyushu Institute of Technology
2-4 Hibikino, Wakamatsu, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka 808-0196, Japan
**The University of Tokyo
4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8505, Japan
Received:August 25, 2015Accepted:December 8, 2015Published:February 20, 2016
Keywords:autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), manganese crust, 3D mapping
Abstract
In order to effectively investigate the distribution and amount of cobalt-rich manganese crust (CRC), an autonomous underwater vehicle BOSS-A equipped with visual and acoustic instruments were developed. BOSS-A observes the seafloor along preset waypoints at a constant speed and altitude. Detailed 3D seafloor images can be obtained from the visual instrument, which employs a sheet laser and a camera. In addition, an acoustic instrument measures the CRC thickness beneath BOSS-A. The CRC at Katayama seamount was surveyed in February. The results visually presented the state and distribution of the CRC in this site and clarified the amount of the CRC. In the future, the authors will develop a more reliable thickness measurement method.
Autonomous underwater vehicle BOSS-A
Cite this article as:Y. Nishida, K. Nagahashi, T. Sato, A. Bodenmann, B. Thornton, A. Asada, and T. Ura, “Autonomous Underwater Vehicle “BOSS-A” for Acoustic and Visual Survey of Manganese Crusts,” J. Robot. Mechatron., Vol.28 No.1, pp. 91-94, 2016.Data files:
References- [1] B. Thornton et al., “Instruments and Methods for Acoustic and Visual Survey of Manganese Crusts,” J. of Oceanic Engineering, Vol.38, Issue 1, pp. 186-203, 2013.
- [2] Y. Nishida et al., “Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Tuna-Sand for Image Observation of the Seafloor at a Low Altitude,” J. of Robotics and Mechatronics, Vol.24, No.6, pp. 519-521, 2014.
- [3] A. Bodenmann et al., “3D mapping of the seafloor in color using a single camera: Benthic mapping based on video recordings and laser profiling to generate colored 3D reconstructions of the seafloor,” Sea Technology, Vol.51, No.12, pp. 51-53, 2010.