Underwater Drones to Be Tested in Japan from June; Govt Aims to Promote Domestic AUV Manufacturing
14:41 JST, April 17, 2024
The government will start in June demonstration tests for the practical use of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), which can automatically navigate underwater, according to sources.
While AUVs are expected to be used in the fields of marine resource development and national security, private companies have not yet entered the market due to high manufacturing costs and lack of experience in their use.
AUVs, also called underwater drones, are expected to be used in hazardous waters and deep-sea areas where water pressure is high. The production cost per unit ranges from tens of millions of yen to over one billion yen.
The government expects AUVs will be used for such purposes as inspection of offshore wind power generation facilities and underwater surveillance and vigilance activities. The government plans to put them into practical use by 2030.
For offshore wind power generation, in addition to the selection of suitable sites, the government envisions demonstration tests with the inspection of floating facilities in mind, with a view to expanding their introduction in the future. In the planned tests, the government plans to use existing oil pipelines on the ocean floor to stand in for underwater power cables to check for damage and fouling.
In light of China’s maritime expansion, the government will also strengthen its undersea surveillance and vigilance capabilities, such as searching for suspicious objects. The government is also considering using the AUVs for surveys of ecosystems and water quality.
Companies that own AUVs, as well as research institutes and organizations that conduct oceanographic surveys, will be invited to the demonstration tests. After screening proposals and other documents, the government will select about three teams to be involved in the tests. The government will shoulder part of cost for the tests, at up to ¥50 million per team. The demonstration tests will be conducted from June through December, and the teams will be required to compile reports on the results and issues to be discussed.
The government formulated a strategy for domestic production of AUVs late last year with the aim of industrializing AUVs by 2030. AUVs are expensive to manufacture, and the United States and China lead the global market. Many of the models used in Japan are made overseas.
AUVs are also expected to be a means of compensating for labor shortages. The government hopes to explore fields in which AUVs can be put to use through the tests and will encourage new companies to enter the market.
"Politics" POPULAR ARTICLE
-
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida Promotes Revised NISA Investment Program to Young People; Kishida Focusing on Moving Money From Savings to Investment in a Safe Environment
-
Japan, U.S. to Join Forces on AI, Semiconductors; Seek to Counter China’s ‘Military-Civil Fusion’
-
Japan, U.S. to Work Together for Expanding Marine Product Supply Chains; Countering China’s Economic Coercion
-
84% of People Nationwide Say They Feel Japan’s National Security Is Under Threat
-
“High Probability” 2 MSDF Patrol Helicopters Collided near Torishima Island; 1 Dead, 7 Others Onboard Missing (Update 2)
JN ACCESS RANKING
- M6.0 Earthquake Hits Japan’s Tohoku Region; Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi Prefectures Observe 4 on Japanese Scale With No Risk of Tsunami
- China Mutes Memorialization of Reformer Hu Yaobang; Memories Could Spark Critique of Xi Administration
- Shinkansen Services Suspended After Man ‘Searches for Phone’ on Tracks; Disruption Affects About 14,000 Passengers
- U.S. 7th Fleet officer Arrested on Suspicion of Stealing Sushi, Sashimi, Chicken at Kanagawa Shopping Mall; Suspect Caught Mid-Meal
- UNRWA Director Describes Catastrophic Destruction in Gaza; Says Relief Trucks Robbed, ‘People’s Hearts Destroyed’