China News, Shenyang, June 8 (Wang Jingwei) Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences released news on June 8 that the "Haidou No. 1" full-sea deep autonomous remote control submersible (hereinafter referred to as "Sea" "Dou Yi"), successfully completed its first 10,000-meter sea trial and experimental application task in the Mariana Trench, and made a number of major breakthroughs, filling the gap of China's 10,000-meter operating unmanned submersibles.
During the voyage, "Haidou No. 1" achieved 4 10,000-meter dives in the Mariana Trench, with a maximum dive depth of 10,907 meters, setting a record for the maximum dive depth of my country's submersibles. In terms of high-precision depth detection, manipulator operations, working time near the bottom of the sea, acoustic detection and positioning, acoustic communication distance, and high-definition video transmission, it has created many firsts in the Chinese submersible field.
The "Haidou No. 1" manipulator was placed at the deepest point of the dive by the Shenyang Automation Institute. Image courtesy of Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences
For the first time in China, “Haidou No. 1” used the deep-sea high-precision acoustic positioning technology and the airborne multi-sensor information fusion method to complete the cruise detection and high-precision depth measurement of the Challenger Abyss in the world’s deepest region, and obtained a complete The data such as the temperature-salt depth of the deep sea section and the abyssal bottom, and the current changes in the deep section provide valuable data for studying the spatial variation of the characteristics of the abyssal water mass and the structure of the currents in the bottom of the abyss.
"Haidou No. 1" used its full-sea deep manipulator with complete independent intellectual property rights to complete the 10,000-meter abyss bottoming operation. It used the seven-function electric manipulator for the first time in the world to complete the abyssal seabed sample capture and deposition Scientific research operations such as object sampling, marker placement, and water sample collection have obtained data related to abyss-specific physics, chemistry, geology, and biology. At the same time, using the high-definition camera system, it also obtained image data such as the abyssal geological environment, the movement of abyssal benthic organisms, and the typical geological environment changes of the trench in different operating points, providing China with in-depth research and exploration of the characteristics of the abyssal geological environment and biological evolution mechanism. Valuable research materials.
"Haidou No. 1" is being recovered. Image courtesy of Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences
"Haidou No. 1" is China's first operating-type whole sea supported by the key special project of the "13th Five-Year Plan" of the Ministry of Science and Technology "Deep Sea Key Technology and Equipment" and jointly developed by more than ten advantageous units within the United Nations of the Shenyang Institute of Automation Deep autonomous remote control submersible.
After two and a half years of key technical research and test verification, in March 2019, "Haidou No. 1" completed the laboratory assembly and blending pool test, completed the Qiandao Lake test in May, and completed the 4,500-meter phased sea test in the South China Sea in August. In early 2020, under the severe situation of the new crown epidemic, the Shenyang Institute of Automation still tried its best to ensure the preparation of the "Haidou 1" 10,000-meter sea trial. The technical verification voyage was carried out in the South China Sea on April 10.
After passing the South China Sea technical verification voyage, on April 23, "Haidou No. 1" took the "Exploration No. 1" scientific research ship to the Mariana Trench to perform the TS-17 abyss scientific voyage mission. With the support of the crew and the scientific research team, the project team has overcome many difficulties and completed the voyage sea trial and experimental application tasks in a short time and efficiently.
On May 9th, under Super 4 sea conditions, "Haidou No. 1" ushered in the 10,000-meter "first show", a perfect soft landing at a depth of 10,884 meters, and completed high-definition video detection of the abyssal seabed and benthic organisms. Realize all operations such as the triggering of the manipulator to collect 10,000 meters of seabed water samples, the manipulator grabbing the pushcore to sample the submarine sediments, remote control tossing and floating, safe recovery.
On May 14, when the sea conditions were still bad, "Haidou No. 1" once again challenged the 10,000-meter abyss. Sailing at the depth of 10907 meters near the sea bottom, after completing the acoustic survey line, all operations such as triggering water collection by the robot, placing markers by the robot, sampling the sediment of the robot, and high-definition video shooting were carried out at the bottom. After completing all planned detection and operation contents, the project will take the initiative to dump and float, and it will be safely recovered at night.
After that, "Haidou No. 1" completed another 10802 meter detection dive. On May 26th, "Haidou No. 1" ran towards the 10,000-meter seabed for the fourth time and landed on the northern slope of the Challenger Abyss at 10,863 meters. High-definition cameras observed rock-like seabed bulges around it. With the use of manipulators, water sampling, placement of markers, sediment sampling, and grabbing of rock-like objects were completed, and they were safely recovered after completion of the task.
Relevant staff of Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences said that the successful development of "Haidou No. 1" is a milestone in China's marine technical equipment field, which provides a brand-new technical means for China's abyssal scientific research and also marks that China has no one. Submersible technology has entered a new era of deep exploration and operation that can cover the whole sea. (Finish)