YUMEIRUKA (pronounced “yume-iruka”), a coined word meaning dream and dolphin, was chosen to be the name of an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) newly developed and constructed by JAMSTEC.
Earlier JAMSTEC invited the public to submit names of the vehicle.
The name was selected, as it reminds of a dolphin swimming freely in the ocean and represents dreams of researchers who pave the way to a new era of marine research and exploration in Japan.
The construction of the vehicle’s body is scheduled to be completed at the end of March 2012 and the naming ceremony will be held in April with the attendance of the Hayate Iimori, a high-school student in Tokyo who is the author of AUV’s name.
Specifications:
Maximum depth capability : 3,000 meters
Cruising speed : 2 to 3 knots (about the average human walking speed)
Length : 5 meters (about the size of a beluga)
Operation : Autonomous or acoustic control (wireless, remotely operated from the support vessel)
Science operations : -Acoustic profiling of the seafloor topography and sub-bottom structure. (e.g. multi-beam echo sounder profiling)
-Navigation capability (Fore and aft X-ladders allow for a swift change in direction, enabling the vehicle to cruise over steep slopes.)
[mappress] Subsea World News Staff , March 02, 2012; Image: JAMSTEC