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Special Issue on Underwater Robotics and Mechatronics
Kuniaki Kawabata, Fumiaki Takemura, Shinichi Sagara, Kazuo Ishii, and Teruo Fujii
Published:October 20, 2013
With two-thirds of the earth covered by oceans, rivers, lakes, ponds, and glaciers – underwater work becomes specialized in often extreme environments that need unusual solutions. The unique techniques required are central to the major research and development fields of robotics and mechatronics. Research related to finding the resources and environmental observation makes underwater technology an attractive field for study. This issue covers advanced R&D in underwater robotics and mechatronics, their applications and uses. The 7 papers brought together introduce the latest in underwater robotics and mechatronics findings. Three are related to visual systems and image processing for underwater observation and inspection and visual survey. Three are related to designs for mechanisms enabling mobile manipulators, buoyancy control devices and deformable tensegrity structures for underwater vehicles. The last but not least paper implements control of underwater vehicles with passive thrusters. These cutting-edge presentations exploring underwater robotics and mechatronics are both innovative and interesting and may give you new ideas for your own work. We thank the authors for their fine contributions and the reviewers for their generous time and effort. In closing, we thank the Editorial Board of the Journal of Robotics and Mechatronics for helping make this issue possible.
Cite this article as:K. Kawabata, F. Takemura, S. Sagara, K. Ishii, and T. Fujii, “Special Issue on Underwater Robotics and Mechatronics,” J. Robot. Mechatron., Vol.25 No.5, p. 771, 2013.Data files:
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