AUH, a New Technology for Ocean Exploration

Abstract

The demand for ocean exploration down to the deep seafloor, for instance, ocean resource exploration and ocean observations, has promoted innovations in underwater technology. Underwater unmanned vehicles are urgently required to be deployed and operate on the seafloor. Because most underwater vehicles are unable to operate on the seafloor and even have difficulty reaching there, we developed a seafloor-resident autonomous underwater helicopter (AUH). This paper introduces the new idea and design of AUHs and discusses the pros and cons of AUHs in comparison with other underwater vehicles. Afterwards, we verify the importance of developing new facilities to enable mankind to easily operate close to the seafloor.