Fujiwara Shinpei

In aquaculture and fixed-net fishing, fishing nets need to be fixed in the water for a long period of time. Therefore, attached organisms such as shellfish, algae, and parasite eggs easily stick to the nets, making periodic cleaning indispensable. A common method is for divers to dive into the water and clean the nets directly with their hands. However, this method is dangerous because it can be fatal to divers due to high water pressure and low water temperature. Therefore, this study considered the possibility of using underwater robot to clean fishery nets in place of divers to avoid these dangers. A mobile mechanism that can move freely along the sides of fixed fishery net in the water has already been developed in this laboratory. In this study, we propose the cleaning system using autonomous robots that automatically cleans aquaculture nets underwater and the charging station using coils for wireless power supply. This robot and a charging station will be installed on the aquaculture nets, and the robot will be driven periodically to clean the nets underwater with less labor and in a safe manner.

In the fishery industry, fishing nets tend to be in the water for a long time. Therefore, there is a possibility that the fishing nets will be broken by marine animals or “Kyucho”； it stands for the violent currents caused by tides or typhoons. It is necessary to repair fishing nets as soon as possible for preventing fishes from escaping to outside of the fishing net. However, a great deal of labor is required to lift and repair fishing nets. In addition, high water pressure and low water temperature may make it difficult for divers to work underwater. Therefore, underwater robot is useful to work instead of divers under such severe situations. The author suggests development of the underwater ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) type robot that can move on fishing net with magnet tires and repair the net using manipulators. This paper introduces the development and performance evaluation of the underwater robot using magnetic mobile mechanism.