Design and concept of a Biointeractive Autonomous Underwater Vehicle “BA-1”

To keep the precious protein source, it is thus extremely important to conserve the biodiversity of the ocean and at the same time to make use of its limited space as much as possible without doing any environmental harm. With this broad objective in mind, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology (TUMSAT) and Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. have started a research and development project, “Pen-free Offshore Aquaculture System using Biointeractive Autonomous Underwater Vehicles.” This project is part of a more comprehensive project, “Marine Biotechnology Innovation,” which has been funded by the Japanese government since 2007. In this paper, we propose a concept of a biointeractive AUV that monitors and takes care of schools of fish just like a sheep dog in a ranch. In a future plan of this system, multiple biointeractive AUVs monitor the environment spatially and accurately, feed the fish, monitor the growth of the fish, guide them, and report the data through satellite to the land while charging their batteries by docking with buoys. A first model of the biointeractive AUV “BA-1” has launched in early 2009. The design of the biointeractive AUV “BA-1” is described in this paper. The basic test result of the interaction system for fish is also described briefly.