The first expedition of the autonomous uninhabited underwater vehicle (AUV) MMT-3500 on Lake Baikal

The first expedition used the autonomous uninhabited underwater vehicle (AUV) MMT-3500, developed by the Institute of Problems of Marine Technologies named after Academician M.D. Ageev (IPMT FEB RAS), on board the R/V G.Yu. Vereshchagin (led by M.M. Makarov) on Lake Baikal on June 24–30. AUV includes measuring tools: a side-scan sonar (SSS) with a 2x150 m capture band; a multibeam echo sounder (MBES) featuring a 120° directional pattern angle; 0.3 m acoustic profile recorder; digital photo system with a resolution of 1,392x1,040 pixels. The AUV has a maximum immersion depth of 3,500 meters and a battery life of eight to ten hours. The AUV scanned the bottom of the southern basin of Lake Baikal with an area of about 27 km² in three zones (Malenky Volcano, Tolstoy Volcano, and location at the BPPM) covering over 200 km underwater.

Photographs of the high-resolution bottom and hydroacoustic relief data were obtained; data for photo and sonar mosaics are being processed.