3:00 PM - 3:15 PM
[MIS15-18] Development of the Under Ice AUV “MONACA” - Autonomous Operations in Antarctica at JARE 64th and 66th -
Keywords:Autonomous Underwater Vehicle, Underwater Technology, Under-Ice Observation, Antarctica
This presentation introduces the AUV MONACA (Mobility Oriented Nadir AntarctiC Adventurer) and reports the results of it’s operations at Japan Antarctic Research Expedition(JARE) 64th and 66th.
The AUV MONACA was developed for under ice survey of Antarctica, supported by JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas No.4902, to measure the sea ice/shelf ice and seafloor for research of ice sheet-ocean interaction. MONACA is 2 m long, 230 kg weight, and can cruise for up to 8 hours. The depth rating is 1500m. The vehicle is designed to go into ice-covered oceans as far as 10 km. The flat body is filled with buoyancy materials at the top so that the battery units and main unit can be accessed from the side. The vehicle has five degrees of freedom (surge, heave, roll, pitch, and yaw) by 4 vertical thrusters and 2 horizontal thrusters. Although the survey range is limited compared to larger AUVs, it can conduct a highly precise survey at lower costs. Its modular design enables the necessary and sufficient compositions for various survey needs. Its sensor unit consisting of a multi-beam sonar, an INS (Inertial Navigation System), and a DVL (Doppler Velocity Log) can be flipped upside down, so that the vehicle can survey both the ice and seafloor with minimum modification.
MONACA was deployed into the ice-coverd waters of Antarctica during Jan. to Feb. 2023 at JARE 64th and Jan. to Mar. 2025 at JARE 66th. At JARE 64th, MONACA’s basic function such as waypoint tracking and altitude/depth control were verified. In the expedition, MONACA made 20 dives: the total duration was about 39 hours and travel distance was about 15.2 km. MONACA succeeded in measuring bathymetry and sea-ice shape with the multi-beam sonar. At JARE 66th, MONACA became the first Japanese AUV to successfully operate untethered.
The AUV MONACA was developed for under ice survey of Antarctica, supported by JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas No.4902, to measure the sea ice/shelf ice and seafloor for research of ice sheet-ocean interaction. MONACA is 2 m long, 230 kg weight, and can cruise for up to 8 hours. The depth rating is 1500m. The vehicle is designed to go into ice-covered oceans as far as 10 km. The flat body is filled with buoyancy materials at the top so that the battery units and main unit can be accessed from the side. The vehicle has five degrees of freedom (surge, heave, roll, pitch, and yaw) by 4 vertical thrusters and 2 horizontal thrusters. Although the survey range is limited compared to larger AUVs, it can conduct a highly precise survey at lower costs. Its modular design enables the necessary and sufficient compositions for various survey needs. Its sensor unit consisting of a multi-beam sonar, an INS (Inertial Navigation System), and a DVL (Doppler Velocity Log) can be flipped upside down, so that the vehicle can survey both the ice and seafloor with minimum modification.
MONACA was deployed into the ice-coverd waters of Antarctica during Jan. to Feb. 2023 at JARE 64th and Jan. to Mar. 2025 at JARE 66th. At JARE 64th, MONACA’s basic function such as waypoint tracking and altitude/depth control were verified. In the expedition, MONACA made 20 dives: the total duration was about 39 hours and travel distance was about 15.2 km. MONACA succeeded in measuring bathymetry and sea-ice shape with the multi-beam sonar. At JARE 66th, MONACA became the first Japanese AUV to successfully operate untethered.