Articles tagged with "deep-sea-exploration"
China's new deep-sea robot drills and monitors seabed at 4,147 ft
China has successfully tested its first domestically developed deep-sea robot capable of three-dimensional drilling and real-time in-situ monitoring within seabed strata. The robotic system completed a trial at a depth of 1,264 meters (approximately 4,147 feet) in the South China Sea, meeting all its design objectives. Developed by the Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey under the Ministry of Natural Resources, the robot simultaneously drilled targeted seabed formations and collected over 2,000 data sets, including methane concentration, dissolved oxygen, and subsurface structural information. This data aims to enhance understanding of geological conditions and support future deep-sea exploration. The robot stands about 2.5 meters tall, weighs roughly 110 kilograms, and integrates a drilling mechanism with multiple sensors, enabling it to operate within seabed layers rather than just on the ocean floor. It features advanced autonomous navigation with AI algorithms, inertial navigation, and magnetic beacon-assisted positioning, achieving a three-dimensional positioning error below 0.3 meters
robotdeep-sea-explorationunderwater-drillingAI-navigationseabed-monitoringbiomimetic-designmarine-roboticsUS robots to hunt Malaysia’s mysterious missing flight after 11 years
Malaysia is set to relaunch the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 on December 30, marking a significant development in the decade-old mystery of the missing plane. The flight disappeared on March 8, 2014, en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people aboard, vanishing from radar and later being tracked diverting into the remote southern Indian Ocean. Despite extensive multinational search efforts, the main wreckage has never been found. The Malaysian government has now authorized a new deep-sea mission led by US company Ocean Infinity, which will deploy advanced marine robotics to scan a 5,800-square-mile zone identified through refined drift and debris analysis. Ocean Infinity’s 55-day operation will utilize cutting-edge seabed mapping and object detection technologies to improve the precision of the search compared to previous efforts. The company will operate under a “no-find, no-fee” contract, receiving payment only if the wreckage is located. This renewed search targets an area informed by updated modeling of
roboticsmarine-robotsdeep-sea-explorationsearch-and-rescue-technologyunderwater-roboticsOcean-Infinityautonomous-underwater-vehiclesNauticus Robotics aims for deep-sea rare mineral exploration with $250M line of credit - The Robot Report
Nauticus Robotics Inc., a subsea robotics developer based in Webster, Texas, has secured a $250 million equity line of credit to accelerate growth and innovation, particularly targeting deep-sea rare earth and mineral exploration. This financing will enable Nauticus to pursue strategic acquisitions that expand its technological capabilities, supporting its broader strategy to contribute to industries critical to the global energy transition. The company emphasizes the importance of rare earth minerals for clean energy, electronics, and defense sectors and aims to play a key role in enabling a responsible supply chain. Nauticus plans to acquire complementary businesses and technologies to enhance its autonomous systems portfolio for sustainable and environmentally responsible subsea resource development. The company’s flagship product, the Aquanaut underwater robot, can operate autonomously or be remotely controlled to perform various underwater tasks such as managing aquaculture projects, repairing oil pipelines, and scanning seabeds. Nauticus recently acquired SeaTrepid International, expanding its subsea service and remotely operated vehicle (ROV) capabilities. Additionally,
roboticsunderwater-robotsrare-earth-mineralsdeep-sea-explorationenergy-transitionautonomous-systemsstrategic-acquisitionsChina leads historic Arctic expedition with crewed, uncrewed submersibles
China has completed its largest Arctic Ocean scientific expedition to date, highlighted by the first manned deep dive beneath Arctic ice using the upgraded Jiaolong submersible. This mission, part of China’s 15th Arctic expedition, also achieved the world’s first coordinated operation between a crewed submersible and a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) in polar waters. The expedition, which departed from Qingdao in July and concluded in late September, involved a fleet including the icebreakers Xue Long 2 and Jidi, research vessels Tansuo 3 and Shenhai 1, and covered areas as far north as latitude 77.5 degrees. Researchers collected hundreds of biological, geological, and chemical samples, gaining new data on biodiversity, ocean hydrology, sea ice, and water chemistry. During over ten joint dives, the Jiaolong submersible and the ROV filmed each other and gathered 183 biological specimens such as shrimps, sea spiders, and sea anem
robotsubmersiblesArctic-expeditiondeep-sea-explorationremotely-operated-vehiclemarine-researchunderwater-roboticsChina debuts dive robot built to reach 20,000 feet beneath the ocean
China has successfully conducted the maiden trial of its self-developed remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Haiqin, designed for deep-sea exploration at depths up to 6,000 meters (19,685 feet). During the initial sea trial in the South China Sea on August 23, 2025, Haiqin completed multiple dives, reaching a maximum depth of 4,140 meters (13,582 feet). The trial validated the ROV’s stability, navigation, automatic heading control, and precise hovering capabilities, essential for operating in complex deep-sea environments. Prior to the sea trial, Haiqin had passed a 6,000-meter pressure test on land, and according to international standards, passing a 4,000-meter sea trial generally confirms its full-depth operational capability. Weighing 3.6 tons and deployed from the Zhong Shan Da Xue research vessel, Haiqin is equipped with high-definition cameras, robotic arms, sonar, and sensors to support a broad range of scientific
robotdeep-sea-explorationremotely-operated-vehiclemarine-technologyunderwater-roboticsscientific-researchoceanography100x larger hydrogen-rich hydrothermal system found using submersible
Scientists from the Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have discovered the Kunlun hydrothermal system beneath the western Pacific seafloor, a hydrogen-rich field over 100 times larger than the well-known Lost City hydrothermal field. Located about 80 kilometers west of the Mussau Trench on the Caroline Plate, Kunlun spans 11.1 square kilometers and features 20 large seafloor depressions resembling pipe swarms with steep walls similar to kimberlite pipes. Using the crewed submersible Fendouzhe and advanced seafloor Raman spectroscopy, researchers measured exceptionally high hydrogen concentrations (around 5.9 to 6.8 millimoles per kilogram) in hydrothermal fluids, estimating an annual hydrogen flux of 4.8 × 10^11 moles, which accounts for at least 5% of global abiotic hydrogen output from submarine sources. The discovery challenges previous assumptions by showing that serpentinization-driven hydrogen generation can occur far from mid
energyhydrogen-energyhydrothermal-systemdeep-sea-explorationsubmersible-technologygeological-materialsserpentinizationFrench Navy’s deep-sea ops accidentally reveal shipwreck from 1500s
A French Navy underwater drone operating near Saint-Tropez has discovered the deepest shipwreck ever found in French territorial waters, resting at a depth of 2,567 meters (8,200 feet). The wreck, provisionally named Camarat 4, is a remarkably well-preserved 16th-century Italian merchant vessel from the Renaissance period. Measuring about 30 meters long and 7 meters wide, the ship was initially detected by sonar and later explored with remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), revealing an intact cargo including nearly 200 Ligurian ceramic jugs, iron bars, artillery pieces, an anchor, and yellow-glazed plates. Despite some contamination from modern debris like plastic bottles and fishing nets, the archaeological significance remains exceptional. The ship likely originated from Liguria, northern Italy, as indicated by the ceramic artifacts bearing mid-16th-century Ligurian motifs and the vessel’s design consistent with Ligurian or Genoese merchant ships. Such vessels were integral to Italy’s Renaissance-era
robotunderwater-droneremotely-operated-vehiclemaritime-archaeologyshipwreck-discoverymarine-technologydeep-sea-explorationChina's new fibre-optic gyroscope can withstand temperatures changes
materialsnavigationgyroscopeoptical-fiberstechnologyaerospacedeep-sea-exploration