New type of plug-in electric boat “RAICHO-S”

The university has created a new type of electric boat "RAICHO-S" in 2011. The craft has some special and unique features that set it apart from existing electric boats or battery-powered boats. "RAICHO-S" utilizes a lithium-ion battery with a rapid charging system and a water jet propulsion system driven by electric motor. In addition, "RAICHO-S" has a waterproof wired remote control system with a control knob that can be moved through 360 degrees to steer the boat in any direction. Its special features and advantages such as low noise, low vibration, high environmental advantages, highly-safe and highly-functional operation are expected to be useful in a wide range of areas which require underwater works. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of "RAICHO-S", measurement of an underwater noise and an underwater test for the waterproof wired remote control system were performed. The paper briefly introduces the design features of “RAICHO-S”, and presents the results of the measurement of underwater noise and the underwater operation test.