Photo: Screenshot of CCTV News video

China has achieved a significant milestone by utilizing a bionic submersible to monitor coral reef growth in the South China Sea, which marks a technological breakthrough in the application of bionic underwater equipment, according to media reports on Monday.

The achievement was spearheaded by a team from the School of Marine Science and Technology at the Northwestern Polytechnical University, China Central Television reported. They developed a biomimetic soft-bodied submersible shaped like a manta ray.

The team has been researching the bionic submersible since 2016, breaking through key technologies such as bionic fluid shape optimization design and the fluid-structure coupling simulation of pectoral fin flapping, integrated propulsion design with sliding and flapping during motion, and smooth switching control of high-similarity multimodal motion.

The team is focusing on coral growth and the settlement of island reef foundations in the South China Sea, and has launched the latest developed 30kg and 720kg types of biomimetic manta ray soft-body diving robots, thus establishing a lineage of bionic intelligent diving robots ranging from flexible small-scale to functional large-scale.

Currently, the submersible has carried out a variety of tasks such as long-distance gliding, wide-area or fixed-depth or stationary hydrological fine collection, and replacement protection of rare animals in marine aquariums. It has completed over 200 operations, achieving a technological breakthrough in the practical application of biomimetic underwater equipment in China.

Global Times