Patent ID: 8908476
Filing Date: 2014-12-09
Classification: B63G,G01S,G01V,G05D

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for seabed exploration, which is equipped with a remotely operated vehicle, comprising: an unmanned remotely operated vehicle connected with a ship by a cable; an acoustic positioning system comprising: a pinger mounted on the unmanned remotely operated vehicle and outputting a pinger signal that is received by a receiver of an echo sounder system mounted on the ship and the echo sounder system utilizes the pinger signal to determine an underwater depth of the unmanned remotely operated vehicle; a measuring device mounted on the unmanned remotely operated vehicle and sensing or measuring various information on the seabed where the unmanned remotely operated vehicle is positioned; and a sediment collecting device collecting sediments of the seafloor, when the unmanned remotely operated vehicle grounds on the seafloor, wherein the apparatus checks whether there is gas hydrate using the measuring device and determines a position of the unmanned remotely operated vehicle using the acoustic positioning system and the echo sounder system if gas hydrate is located.