DIRECTIONAL SELF-BURYING SENSOR SYSTEM AND METHOD

1 . A node for collecting seismic data, the node comprising:

a base configured to land on the ocean floor; and

a head connected to the base through a connecting member and configured to bury itself into the ocean floor,

wherein the head includes a seismic sensor configured to detect seismic data and first to third burying units configured to bury the head.

2 . The node of claim 1 , wherein the head further comprises:

an attitude unit configured to measure a spatial orientation of the head relative to gravity.

3 . The node of claim 2 , wherein the attitude unit is configured to measure pitch, roll and yaw of the head.

4 . The node of claim 2 , wherein a longitudinal axis of each burying unit makes an angle α with the gravity and the burying units are symmetrically distributed around a longitudinal axis of the head.

5 . The node of claim 4 , wherein the angle α is about 20°.

6 . The node of claim 2 , wherein the base includes a controller configured to receive data from the attitude unit and to control each of the burying unit.

7 . The node of claim 6 , wherein the controller calculates different extending steps S i for each burying unit when an orientation of the head diverges from gravity.

8 . The node of claim 7 , wherein each burying unit has an extending rod that extends away from the head with a corresponding step S i .

9 . The node of claim 7 , wherein each burying unit includes a solenoid for actuating a corresponding extending rod.

10 . The node of claim 1 , wherein the base comprises:

a power source for supplying power to the seismic sensor and the burying units.

11 . The node of claim 1 , wherein the head comprises:

a fluidification mechanism configured to loosen the soil around the head.

12 . A node for collecting seismic data, the node comprising:

a base configured to land on the ocean floor; and

a head connected to the base through a connecting member and configured to bury itself into the ocean floor,

wherein the head includes a seismic sensor configured to detect seismic data and a burying mechanism configured to bury the head and to maintain its burying trajectory close to gravity.

13 . The node of claim 12 , wherein the head further comprises:

an attitude unit configured to measure a spatial orientation of the head relative to gravity.

14 . The node of claim 12 , wherein the burying mechanism includes three burying units, each burying unit making an angle α with the gravity.

15 . The node of claim 14 , wherein the base includes a controller configured to receive data from the attitude unit and to control each of the burying units.

16 . The node of claim 15 , wherein the controller calculates different extending steps S i for each burying unit when an orientation of the head diverges from gravity.

17 . The node of claim 15 , wherein each burying unit includes a solenoid for actuating a corresponding extending rod.

18 . The node of claim 12 , wherein the head comprises:

a fluidification mechanism configured to loosen the soil around the head.

19 . A method for driving a seismic sensor into the ocean floor, the method comprising:

landing a node on the ocean floor;

deploying a head from the node to the ocean floor, wherein the head includes the seismic sensor;

burying the head into the ocean floor using a burying mechanism; and

correcting a burying trajectory of the head into the ocean floor based on spatial orientation measurements of the head acquired with an attitude unit.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising:

calculating in a controller, based on the spatial orientation measurements, steps S i for corresponding extending rods of the burying mechanism; and

instructing the extending rods to extend into the ocean floor with the calculated steps S i .