Autosub 6000.
Autosub 6000 - the UK's deepest diving submarine robot
30 March 2009
Able to dive to a depth of 6000 metres, Autosub 6000 allows scientists to access more than 90 per cent of the Earth's ocean floors. Science writer and broadcaster Richard Hollingham finds out more about what's in store for this robot submarine.
Richard meets systems engineer Miles Pebody and marine scientist Dr Russell Wynn to talk about the kinds of missions the UK's deepest diving submarine robot will be used for.
Autosub 6000 was developed by British engineers at the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton and is an example of an AUV or automomous underwater vehicle. The submarine is pre-programmed before each mission and isn't controlled from the surface - once Autosub 6000 is in the water it's on its own.
Miles describes Autosub 6000's innards, while Russell tells Richard about its latest mission. The submarine recently returned from the deep Atlantic Ocean where it investigated the potential threats to Europe's coastal communities from tsumanis, giant landslides and earthquakes.
Autosub 6000 revealed that giant landslides are rare around the Canary Islands - there has been no major activity in the last 15,000 years.
Autosub 6000's next mission to the Portuguese coast this summer will search for evidence of an earthquake that devastated Lisbon in 1755 and killed 10,000 people.
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