Development of a Small Underwater Robot for Archaeological Survey in Fluctuating Water-Flow Environments

Abstract

This paper reports the development and experimental validation of a small underwater robot for archaeological survey under fluctuating water-flow conditions. Our research team has been investigating the Tsuzuraozaki underwater site at a depth of 50 - 70 m in the northern part of Lake Biwa, Japan. We proposed and developed the underwater robot with eight thrusters and mechanical contact rods to stabilize the robot's position at the bottom of the lake. The robot is also equipped with high definition cameras to estimate the size and shape of archaeological objects. We conducted field experiments and found several archaeological objects in Lake Biwa to demonstrate the effectiveness of the developed robot.