“This year we are preparing an 800kg deep sea application. [1,765 pounds] class [submersibles]”Professor Cao Yong of Northwestern Polytechnical University told CCTV.
He added: “In the future, we plan to develop a tonne-class prototype capable of carrying a more powerful payload and cruising for greater distances, including future integrated reconnaissance and strike capabilities. [roles]. “
Cao’s team began developing a submersible for monitoring coral reefs in 2006, studying the swimming patterns of marine organisms for prototypes, according to the report.
They successfully monitored marine life in the South China Sea earlier this year, monitoring outbreaks of species such as crown-of-thorns starfish, which feed on and threaten coral reefs.
CCTV said the team’s mini-submersibles could be used for marine education and monitoring coral reefs, while larger models could dive deeper and for longer to gather more data.
Although each submersible has space for additional equipment, the team plans to deploy them in groups next year to maximize their effectiveness.
“The durability, payload and range of a single unit are all very limited. By forming a cluster, they can travel longer distances,” Hao Yiwei, a researcher at Northwestern Polytechnical University, told CCTV.
China isn’t the only country testing Manta-like submersibles: a similar underwater drone passed underwater tests in the United States earlier this year.
The ship, built by defense technology company Northrop Grumman, will carry out “long-duration, long-range missions in marine environments inaccessible to humans,” the company said.
Their autonomous drones can be anchored to the ocean floor and hibernate in low-power mode, and can also carry payloads for a variety of missions.
The company said the drones were ordered by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which has a “vision to deliver breakthrough technology to deliver strategic surprise attacks.”
China’s Manta submersible is equipped with cameras, sonar and the Beidou navigation system, allowing it to transmit real-time footage and location information to researchers.
One of the vessels reached a depth of 1,000 meters (600 feet) last year, CCTV said.
Cao said the team isn’t worried about the drone being attacked by sharks, but that microorganisms could stick to the drone’s surface and hinder its navigation.
To get around this problem, the team is looking into applying a special gel to trick the microbes into thinking it’s seawater.
