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Deep diveROBOTICS

Full Ocean Depth Autonomous Underwater Robot AbyssExplorer Completes 11,000-Meter Mariana Trench Operations: A Free-Diving Robot Without Tether Cables

AbyssExplorer uses novel high-strength buoyancy materials and full ocean depth hydraulic systems to achieve the first untethered autonomous dive to 11,000 meters.

Full Ocean Depth Autonomous Underwater Robot AbyssExplorer Completes 11,000-Meter Mariana Trench Operations

In October 2030, the Shenyang Institute of Automation at the Chinese Academy of Sciences announced that its AbyssExplorer full ocean depth autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) successfully completed untethered autonomous operations at 11,000 meters in the Mariana Trench. This marks the first time a tetherless robot has autonomously completed scientific exploration missions in the full ocean depth environment.

Previous deep-sea exploration relied primarily on two methods: manned submersibles (such as Jiaolong and Fendouzhe) and tethered remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). The former carries personnel safety risks and dive frequency limitations, while the latter is constrained by tether length and drag forces. AbyssExplorer's tetherless design breaks through both limitations.

AbyssExplorer measures 4.2 meters in length, weighs 1,800 kilograms, and has a maximum working depth of 11,000 meters. Its core technical breakthroughs include three areas: first, a novel ceramic-titanium alloy composite pressure hull capable of withstanding 1,100 atmospheres of external pressure; second, a full ocean depth hydraulic manipulator arm that can extend and grasp normally under extreme pressure; and third, an acoustic communication-based autonomous navigation system that can autonomously avoid obstacles and plan paths in complex seafloor terrain.

Li Shuo, a researcher at the Shenyang Institute of Automation, said: "AbyssExplorer operated autonomously on the Mariana Trench floor for 6 hours, completing three tasks: seafloor sediment sampling, close-range imaging of hydrothermal vents, and underwater acoustic environment measurement. All data was transmitted back via satellite after the robot surfaced."

AbyssExplorer captured images of previously unrecorded deep-sea biological communities on the trench floor, including a white octopus-like creature living near hydrothermal vents.

The institute plans to deploy AbyssExplorer to the South China Sea for scientific research in 2031 and is collaborating with the Ministry of Natural Resources to develop a commercial application version of the full ocean depth AUV.