10:45 AM - 11:00 AM
[SSS12-01] Experiment of GNSS-A seafloor crustal deformation observation using UAV
★Invited Papers
Keywords:GNSS-A, Seafloor geodesy, UAV
Observation of seafloor crustal deformation is inferior in accuracy and frequency compared to observation of land crustal deformation, so much research and development is underway. Using ships for GNSS-A seafloor crustal deformation observation technology development has led to an increase in frequency, but by around 2020, the frequency reached a limit in terms of the number of ships and the sea surface platform became a technical bottleneck.
From the 2010s, autonomous buoys and moored buoys have been considered for many ocean measurements, and diversification of methods has been achieved. But buoys have challenges in maintaining a sea surface position in strong current areas, resulting in limitations on the observation range and difficulty in ensuring measurement accuracy.
We are researching the possibility of underwater and seafloor observation using UAVs as the third sea surface platform following vessels and buoys. UAVs are widely used in many ground measurements, such as surveying, DEM, transportation, and agriculture. However, their use at sea has not progressed sufficiently and they have been limited to environmental surveys and observations as an application of ground measurements.
Therefore, we used a prototype of the flying-boat type unmanned aircraft, HAMADORI, developed by SELAB (Space Entertainment Laboratory), which has the ability to take off and land on the sea surface, to conduct acoustic communication experiments with the seafloor at a depth of 1500m and GNSS-A observation experiments. The experiments were conducted in November 2022 at site SAGA. The expected observation behavior was realized and the predicted observation accuracy was confirmed. However, further consideration is necessary for the weight and placement of equipment not only for the GNSS-A observation but also for other seafloor observations. In this presentation, we introduce the experimental results and future research and development goals, as well as prospects for application.
Achnowledgement: We thank the staff at Space Entertainment Laboratory, Co., Ltd., for assistance in experiments using the UAV. We used the SAGA station in SGO-A based on a joint research agreement between the Japan Coast Guard and the Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo. This study was supported by ERI JURP 2022-Y-KOBO25 in Earthquake Research Institute, the University of Tokyo, by the University of Tokyo Excellent Young Researcher project, by SECOM science and technology foundation, and by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number JP21H05200 in Grant-in-Aid for Transformative Research Areas (A) “Science of Slow-to-Fast Earthquakes.”
From the 2010s, autonomous buoys and moored buoys have been considered for many ocean measurements, and diversification of methods has been achieved. But buoys have challenges in maintaining a sea surface position in strong current areas, resulting in limitations on the observation range and difficulty in ensuring measurement accuracy.
We are researching the possibility of underwater and seafloor observation using UAVs as the third sea surface platform following vessels and buoys. UAVs are widely used in many ground measurements, such as surveying, DEM, transportation, and agriculture. However, their use at sea has not progressed sufficiently and they have been limited to environmental surveys and observations as an application of ground measurements.
Therefore, we used a prototype of the flying-boat type unmanned aircraft, HAMADORI, developed by SELAB (Space Entertainment Laboratory), which has the ability to take off and land on the sea surface, to conduct acoustic communication experiments with the seafloor at a depth of 1500m and GNSS-A observation experiments. The experiments were conducted in November 2022 at site SAGA. The expected observation behavior was realized and the predicted observation accuracy was confirmed. However, further consideration is necessary for the weight and placement of equipment not only for the GNSS-A observation but also for other seafloor observations. In this presentation, we introduce the experimental results and future research and development goals, as well as prospects for application.
Achnowledgement: We thank the staff at Space Entertainment Laboratory, Co., Ltd., for assistance in experiments using the UAV. We used the SAGA station in SGO-A based on a joint research agreement between the Japan Coast Guard and the Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo. This study was supported by ERI JURP 2022-Y-KOBO25 in Earthquake Research Institute, the University of Tokyo, by the University of Tokyo Excellent Young Researcher project, by SECOM science and technology foundation, and by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number JP21H05200 in Grant-in-Aid for Transformative Research Areas (A) “Science of Slow-to-Fast Earthquakes.”