Development of AUV "Marine Bird" with underwater docking and recharging system

The "Marine Bird" is an experimental autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) that can dock with an underwater base to charge batteries. An AUV with docking functions like the Marine Bird and a scientific submarine cable network system are to enhance their availability each other when they are used together. The combination of both technologies is to be a breakthrough for oceanographic investigations. This paper describes the overview of the Marine Bird, its docking and recharging system and the principal test results.