Chinese Team Develops Robot for the World’s Deepest Ocean Trench

A team of Chinese researchers has developed a small robot capable of operating in the world’s deepest ocean trench under extremely high pressure.

According to a report by China’s official Xinhua news agency, the inspiration for this robot came from the movement patterns of the batfish. The project was led by faculty members from Beihang University, who designed a 50-centimeter-long robot capable of swimming, gliding, and crawling.

The robot generates thrust using its tail fin, reaching a maximum speed of 5.5 centimeters per second. When crawling on sandy surfaces, it moves at a speed of 3 centimeters per second using its limbs.

In the Mariana Trench, located in the Pacific Ocean and recognized as the deepest point on Earth at 10,600 meters, pressure can reach 110 million pascals—the equivalent of placing one ton on a thumbnail.
The team developed a flexible actuator that leverages the strengthening properties of soft silicone materials under high pressure.

Operating a robot at such depths is an extraordinary challenge, previously achievable only with large, rigid submarines weighing several tons.