An AUV Yumeiruka for Seabed Topography Survey

Japan Agency for Marine – Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) has been recently advanced the development of several underwater vehicles for the survey of mineral resources buried under Japan’s territorial sea. One of them is Yumeiruka. It has characteristic canard wings and rudders which are attached on its fore and rear parts. Since they cause good maneuverability, good survey results using acoustic observation devices can be obtained. And it has a high performance compact inertial navigation system which was developed as Japan’s first INS for an underwater vehicle by the cooperation between JAMSTEC and a Japanese manufacture. Yumeiruka has now conducted sea trials in order to improve its performance and functionality.Copyright © 2015 by ASME