China's remotely operated vehicle completes deep sea test

China's first domestic remotely operated vehicle (ROV) that can dive into a depth of 6,000 meters under water completed Saturday its maid deep sea test.

A remotely operated vehicle (ROV) [File Photo: kepu.net.cn]

During its 12-day test, the vehicle made seven dives to a maximum depth of 5,611 meters. The ROV also carried out benthic organism observations and collected organizism and rock samples.

The ROV was co-produced by the Shenyang Institute of Automation and the Institute of Oceanology, both under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

It took two and a half years to make the vehicle, said Li Shuo, deputy director of the Shenyang Institute of Automation.

The ROV can be widely used in marine environmental and biodiversity investigation as well as marine mineral resources exploration. 

China is now one of the few countries that can independently develop ROVs fit to operate in a depth of 6,000 meters, together with the United States, Japan and France.