海洋研究開発機構では、2012年に航行型AUV「じんべい」を建造し、本格的な海洋資源探査の運用に向けて各種の調整および試験を行っている。本稿では、同AUVの紹介をしたのち、実海域試験における全自動潜航およびその観測成果を報告する。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 2014, 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.http://www.godac.jamstec.go.jp/darwin/cruise/kaiyo/ky14-15/
