To reduce the frequency of emergency avoiding operations even if an obstacle is present on a traveling route.

The autonomously controlled underwater vehicle is configured to travel through each way point provided along the traveling route by way point control. When an obstacle on the route is detected by an obstacle detecting sonar installed on the underwater vehicle in the course of moving from the position of one way point to the position of a way point to be cruised next as a target point, emergency avoiding operation is performed to move the underwater vehicle to a direction free from the obstacle, and a new way point is added to the position of the underwater vehicle in the completion of avoidance to cause the underwater vehicle to go through the new way point in and after the next traveling along the traveling route. According to this, the underwater vehicle is caused to go through the added way point in and after the circulation next the circulation in which the obstacle is detected, thereby the underwater vehicle can travel without passing through the obstacle.

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