Development of Underwater Shuttle Glider for Virtual Mooring

A prototype of a 3000m-class underwater shuttle glider for virtual mooring is being developed by JAMSTEC (Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology) with RIAM (Research Institute for Applied Mechanics) of Kyushu University. The vehicle houses an observation equipment and glides back and forth between the sea surface and the seabed collecting ocean data in a specific area (virtual mooring area). In this paper simulated results of the gliding are compared with the field experimental results, and the accuracy of the motion simulator is discussed.