Patent ID: 6907931

Claim:
A device for at least one of soil sampling and measuring soil characteristics of soil below a marine subsurface, the device comprising: a base plate for positioning the device within a marine environment on the marine subsurface; a fluidic jack secured to the base plate, the fluidic jack including an outer tube, an inner tubular tool within the outer tube forming an annular chamber between the tubular tool and the outer tube, the annular chamber being sealed, and a piston attached to the tubular tool within the annular chamber, the piston being configured to seal the annular chamber from the marine environment and to slidably move together with the tubular tool within the annular chamber, the piston having an outer surface away from the annular chamber and adapted for communication with the marine environment for exposing the piston to a hydrostatic pressure of the marine environment; and a controllable hydraulic pump in fluid communication with the annular chamber of the fluidic jack which is sealed by the piston, the hydraulic pump being operable to selectively pump a fluid into and out of the annular chamber for slidably moving the piston together with the tubular tool respectively upwardly or downwardly within the annular chamber in a controlled manner.