China has launched the world’s first unmanned research vessel, the Zhu Hai Yun, which can be remotely controlled and can navigate independently. The ship will conduct marine scientific research and other observations. It was handed over to Zhuhai (Guangdong province in southern China) on Thursday for the continuation of the operation. Its power plant, electronics, positioning systems and other equipment were developed domestically.

With a length of 88.5 m, a width of 14 m and a design displacement of approximately 2,100 tons, the ship is equipped with a take-off and landing area for unmanned aerial vehicles that can be used for various tasks, including marine surveying and mapping, surveillance. , inspection and sampling.

Chen Dake, an academician from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that in the first test, the ship was fully autonomous for 12 hours without interruption, chose its own route and successfully avoided obstacles. According to the results of the tests, he stated that the ship passed all the tests well and fully met the specified parameters, “It fully meets our design goals.”