Japan robot launched for sea-mapping competition
A NEW UNMANNED exploration robot made by Team Kuroshio, which will compete this year in the final round of an international race to precisely map the ocean floor, was unveiled recently at the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture.
The exploration team is comprised of representatives from eight government, private sector and academic organisations, including JAMSTEC, the University of Tokyo and Mitsui E&S Shipbuilding Co.
The new robot is one of two that will be used in the competition’s final round.
The 5.6-metre-long, 1-metre-wide, 2.3-tonne cylindrical robot will map the topography of the ocean floor using sound waves. It can move autonomously at speeds of up to 8kph for more than a day, according to the team.
In the competition, which is organised by the US-based XPRIZE Foundation, teams aim to map an area of the seabed of at least 250 square kilometres at a depth of at least 4,000 metres within 24 hours.
Eight teams from Japan, the United States and Europe will compete in the final for a grand prize of $7 million (Bt227 million).