Urashima
Gallery
Overview
JAMSTEC's large deep-sea AUV that set a 317 km autonomous-cruise record in 2005 on fuel-cell power.
Urashima is a large autonomous underwater vehicle developed by Japan's marine-science agency JAMSTEC to survey the deep sea far from a support ship. About 10 m long and roughly 7 tonnes, it is rated to 3,500 m and cruises at about 3 knots. It is best known for a 2005 run in which it travelled 317 km autonomously over 56 hours, powered by a closed-cycle fuel cell that stored hydrogen in metal hydrides, then a world-class distance for an AUV. JAMSTEC later replaced the fuel cell with lithium-ion batteries, and Urashima continues to map the seafloor and observe the water column.
Primary Roles
Notes
About 9.7-10.6 m long (10 m recorded) and 6.7-7.5 t, rated to 3,500 m, about 3 kn. In February 2005 it cruised 317 km autonomously over 56 hours powered by a closed-cycle polymer electrolyte fuel cell; the fuel cell was later replaced with lithium-ion batteries.
