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Wednesday, 30 September 2026dailybeirut.com
Tech & Science
A domestically developed work-class robot capable of operating at 4,500 meters has departed Weihai Port for a scientific expedition in the South China Sea.
A new domestically developed deep-sea robot, designed to operate at depths reaching 4,500 meters (14,764 feet), has set sail from Weihai Port in Shandong province. The vessel departed on September 28, heading toward the South China Sea to conduct a joint scientific expedition with the Harbin Institute of Technology’s Weihai branch, according to Chinese state media reports.
The primary objective of this mission is to evaluate the full operational system in real-world environments, facilitating the transition of the technology from laboratory development stages to industrial applications. This deployment adds another component to China’s expanding fleet of underwater exploration technologies.
The 4,500-meter-class work-class robot features a seven-axis multifunction hydraulic manipulator that was also developed domestically. Its design incorporates solutions to more than 30 technical challenges, including pressure-resistant sealing, high-power propulsion, long-distance underwater communications, and multimodal autonomous navigation.
CTGN noted that the vehicle’s operating class places it in an environment where pressure, communications, and navigation present significant engineering hurdles. The system is engineered for specific tasks such as deep-sea oil and gas operations, underwater pipeline inspections, mineral-resource exploration, scientific sampling, and emergency salvage.
This launch aligns with broader efforts to produce equipment capable of operating farther below the surface while performing increasingly complex functions. In 2025, China’s Haiqin, a 6,000-meter-class (19,685-foot-class) remotely operated vehicle (ROV), reached 4,140 meters (13,583 feet) in the South China Sea to collect biological and sediment samples. That system operated alongside the full-ocean-depth Haidou-1 during coordinated underwater missions.
Recent activities further demonstrate expanded seabed investigation capabilities. The Mengxiang drilling vessel recently accessed the 5,000-meter (16,404-foot) level to obtain basalt samples from the South China Sea basin. During that same mission, two ROVs operated for a combined total exceeding 358 hours at depths around 4,000 meters (13,123 feet).
Deep-sea robots provide access to environments that are difficult and costly for conventional vessels and human crews to explore, making them valuable for geological surveys, environmental monitoring, and mineral resource searches. China has been developing detailed maps of seabed resources, with the China Geological Survey reporting in April a geochemical dataset covering more than 10,000 survey stations in eastern waters.
Researchers mapped the locations and concentrations of dozens of elements, including iron, manganese, copper, and rare earth elements. Chinese geological researchers have specifically identified deep-sea rare earths, polymetallic nodules, and other seabed resources as exploration targets. A separate deep-sea drilling and monitoring robot tested earlier this year in the South China Sea collected over 2,000 sets of geological and environmental measurements, indicating potential utility in exploring deep-sea resources.
Technologies used for seabed mapping also support maritime security and military operations. China has developed larger autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) capable of seabed mapping and long-duration operations, while demonstrating military-related systems for underwater reconnaissance, target detection, and mine-related missions.
Progress in autonomous underwater swarms continues alongside these developments. On August 29, a team from Northwestern Polytechnical University and Xian Tianhe Maritime Technologies deployed 116 small autonomous underwater vehicles in a 50-by-20-meter (164-by-66-foot) swimming pool. The vehicles navigated in formation without human intervention for 34 minutes, covering 500 meters (1,640 feet) to set a Guinness World Record for the most autonomous underwater vehicles operating simultaneously.
The swimming-pool demonstration and the new 4,500-meter work-class robot represent different ends of the underwater robotics spectrum. One tests coordinated autonomy among large numbers of small vehicles, while the other is designed to perform physical work at extreme depths. Together with China’s expanding seabed mapping, drilling, and underwater vehicle programs, they indicate a growing effort to develop robotic systems that can survey, monitor, and work in parts of the ocean that remain difficult for humans to access.
