Shanghai: China’s self-developed Haiqin, a 6,000-meter deep-sea remotely operated vehicle (ROV), has successfully completed a deep-sea voyage in the South China Sea, as reported by scientists.

According to Namibia Press Agency, the deep-sea electric ROV system named Haiqin, designed and built by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, reached a depth of 4,140 meters during its sea trial early on Saturday morning. The ROV is equipped with high-definition cameras, robotic arms, sonar systems, and sensors, demonstrating capabilities such as automatic heading control and precise hovering.

The 3.6-tonne ROV successfully collected deep-sea biological samples and sediments, which were taken to a supporting research vessel named Zhong Shan Da Xue. This mission also marked a significant development, as it involved the simultaneous deployment of the full-ocean-depth autonomous and remotely-operated vehicle (ARV) named Haidou-1. This event marked the first time two distinct deep-sea unmanned submersibles conducted coordinated scientific operations via a single supporting Chinese research vessel.