CHINA’S first domestically developed undersea robot capable of 3D drilling and in-situ monitoring within seabed strata has successfully completed a trial operation in the South China Sea at a depth of 1,264 meters.

The robot, developed by the Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey (GMGS) under the China Geological Survey, achieved all performance targets during the recent mission, marking a significant breakthrough in deep-sea exploration and in-situ formation monitoring capabilities.

“It can drill freely and position itself accurately inside deep-sea formations, autonomously avoiding obstacles such as rocks and biological debris while dynamically planning optimal paths,” said Zhu Yangtao, a GMGS engineer and deputy leader of the robot project.

“Equipped with multiple sensors, it can also conduct long-term, wide-coverage, multi-parameter in-situ monitoring deep within the strata.”

During the trial, the robotic system conducted real-time in-situ monitoring of target seabed formations, capturing more than 2,000 data sets on methane concentration, dissolved oxygen, and stratigraphic structure.

Deep-sea strata contain crucial resources such as gas hydrates, deep-sea rare-earth elements, and polymetallic nodules. Their safe and sustainable development is vital to national energy and resource security. However, exploration is challenged by extreme conditions, including low temperatures, high salinity, extreme pressure, and geological instability.

Existing deep-sea drilling and monitoring technologies often lack mobility, sufficient spatial and temporal coverage for in-situ observation, and real-time data transmission, explained Zhu.

These shortcomings have hindered the industry’s ability to perform low-disturbance, real-time in-situ monitoring inside seabed formations, which is in growing demand for deep-sea resource development, said the engineer.

To address these gaps, the GMGS research team independently developed key technologies and built the robot. It adopts a modular multi-section design and integrates inertial navigation, magnetic beacon-assisted positioning, and AI algorithms, significantly improving its intelligence and environmental adaptability.

(Xinhua)