Latest news with #Urashima
Yomiuri Shimbun
13-05-2025
- Science
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Japan Unveils Urashima 8000 Underwater Drone Capable of Diving 8,000 Meters Under the Sea
The Yomiuri Shimbun The Urashima 8000 is shown to the press in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, on Monday. The Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology on Monday showed the press its newest autonomous underwater vehicle, the Urashima 8000, in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture. The submarine is about 10 meters long and capable of diving to 8,000 meters under the sea, a depth that is more than double what the previous model was capable of. After underwater cruise tests, the sub will begin full-fledged operations from next fiscal year. The vehicle can survey over 98% of Japan's exclusive economic zone. It is also expected to be used for exploring offshore natural resources. The previous model in the Urashima series can dive up to 3,500 meters under the sea and survey 45% of Japan's EEZ. Work began on a new model in 2022. The vehicle's pressure-resistant container, which is inside the hull and contains important devices, was changed from aluminum to titanium so that it can endure higher pressures. According to the agency, the Urashima 8000 boasts the deepest diving depth of any cruising AUV, or autonomous underwater vehicles that are able to navigate wide swathes of the sea. The new model also consumes less electricity and can operate underwater for about 40 hours straight. That is a more than 50% increase in time from the previous model. In its ocean floor surveys using sonar, the Urashima 8000 can scan about 100 square kilometers of seabed per dive. The agency is scheduled to conduct the underwater cruise tests over the Japan Trench off the Boso Peninsula in July and August. 'We will be able to search for seafloor deposits and check for deformation of the sea floor caused by earthquakes more efficiently,' said Takeshi Nakatani, acting group leader of the agency's Engineering Department.
12-05-2025
- Science
Japan's Deep Sea Probe Capable of 8,000-Meter Dives Displayed
News from Japan Science Society Technology May 12, 2025 22:02 (JST) Yokosuka, Kanagawa Pref., May 12 (Jiji Press)--The Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, or JAMSTEC, unveiled on Monday a deep sea explorer capable of reaching a depth of 8,000 meters, deepest among the country's existing deep sea probes. The explorer, Urashima 8000, is an improved version of the Urashima vehicle, which can dive to a depth of 3,500 meters. Researchers hope that studying in detail the topography of the seabed such as around the Japan Trench can help uncover the mechanism behind the occurrence of giant earthquakes. The Urashima is an autonomous probe under development since 1998. It can navigate without crew on board by following a route entered into the built-in computer and can avoid obstacles by itself. It was used to study landslides and volcanoes on the seabed. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
