UT 2000 Repeats Successful Tokyo Venue

Underwater Technology 2000 was a big success, as the second, biennial International Symposium in Tokyo at the New Sanno Hotel from May 23 to 26. The symposium was sponsored by IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society(OES), U.S. Office of Naval Research Asian Office, and The Institute of Industrial Science(IIS), University of Tokyo. Symposium Co-chairs were Joseph Vadus, OES Vice President and Hisaaki Maeda, OES AdCom. The OES-Japan Section was the hosting and supporting organization. Opening addresses by sponsors were given by: Glen Williams, OES President, Hassan Ali, Associate Director of the U.S. Office of Naval Research Asian Office and Professor Uomoto, Deputy Director, IIS, University of Tokyo. The University of Tokyo announced the establishment of the new Research Institute for Underwater Technology directed by Tamaki Ura, the OES Japan Chapter Chair.

There were over 160 in attendance.The ocean community sent in 133 abstracts from 19 countries. 82 papers were incorporated, including keynote lectures by: Glen Williams, Texas A & M University on Autonomous Under water Vehicle Controller" ; Spencer King. Nauticos Inc. on" Midway : The Survey of a Historical Battle Site" ; H. Momma, JAMSTEC on "Search and Recovery of NASDA s H-II Rocket Flight No.8 Engine"; J. M. Zhu on "Underwater Research Activity in China" and J. R. McFarlane, International Submarine Engineering on"ROV's and AUV's: Tools for Exploring, Exploiting & Defending the Ocean Frontier."

This symposium series is focused on the Pacific Rim countries and aimed at bringing together the international leaders and experts on underwater technology to exchange and share research and development findings on the leading edge of technology. The symposium theme was, Advanced Underwater Technologies for the 21st Century and consisted of technical sessions on: Underwater Observation, Underwater Acoustics, Underwater Vehicles & Robotics, Signal & Information Processing, Underwater Positioning, Underwater Activities, and Underwater Construction. Underwater technology provides the means to explore the ocean and its underwater world, and facilitates the wise utilization of its vast resources.

All the members of the UT Executive Committee brought considerable experience on underwater technology: Technical Program Chairs , Tamaki Ura and Robert Wernli; and Hassan Ali, Teruo Fujii, Yasuyoshi Ishii and Chang Kyu Rheem. A Technical Tour took 43 participants to the experimental site of the huge 1000 meter long Mega-Float proto type airport and the JAMSTEC (Japan Marine Science and Technology Center) featuring underwater facilities such as: Shinkai 6500, the new AUV "Urashima", and experiments for the wave power device "Mighty Whale".

After careful consideration of all proposals for Underwater Technology 2002 by the UT Executive Committee, it was decided to hold the next conference at the New Sanno Hotel in Tokyo once again in 2002. This deci sion was hard to arrive at with such excellent proposals submitted from Taiwan and Singapore.With a successful conference in Tokyo in 2002, the venue will move outside of Japan in 2004, if acceptable proposals are received.

Symposium Co-Chairmen:
Prof.Hisaaki Maeda
Institute for Industrial Science
University of Tokyo, Japan
Mr. Joseph R. Vadus
Vice President, Technical Activities
IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society, USA

UT2000 Tokyo, Japan

Tamaki Ura, Program co-chair describing his UT logo design (pair of jeans & T-shirt on a clothes line). Looking on: Ms. Hiromi and Y. Ishii UT Treasurer.	Members of UT Excom and UT advisors toasting the success of UT 2000.

Prof. Fong-Chen Chiu and the Taiwan Delegation.	Symposium co-chairs Hisaaki Maeda and Joe Vadus.

Left to right members of UT Excom: Hassan Ali, Bob Wernli, Tamaki Ura, and Teruo Fujii.	Welcome address by Glen Williams, OES President.

Left to right: Joe Vadus, OES Vice President and OES President Glen Williams at the reception's sushi table.	John and Catherine Potter of Singapore, Jerry Carroll, U.S. Navy and Prof. Emeritus, N. Nasu, Univ. of Tokyo.

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