The manta ray-like soft-body submersible of Northwestern Polytechnical University has realized the first bionic submersible to monitor the coral reefs in the South China Sea

Recently, a bionic submersible, developed by the autonomous underwater vehicle team of the School of Navigation at Northwestern Polytechnical University, has realized for the first time the monitoring of the growth of coral reefs in my country's South China Sea by a bionic submersible.

It is understood that the team has been researching manta ray-like submersibles since 2016, and has made breakthroughs in a number of key technologies, including the optimization design of bionic fluid shape and fluid-solid coupling simulation calculation of pectoral fin flapping, integrated propulsion design of sliding and flapping in motion, and smooth switching control of high-similarity multi-modal motion. Aiming at the coral growth and foundation stone settlement scenarios of islands and reefs in the South China Sea, the team has launched the latest 30 kg and 720 kg manta ray-like soft submersibles, thus building a spectrum of bionic intelligent submersibles from flexible small-scale to functional large-scale.

At present, the manta ray-like submersible has performed many tasks, including long-distance gliding and in-situ concealed detection, high-bioaffinity and low-disturbance coral reef ecological monitoring, wide-area or fixed-depth or resident hydrological collection, and alternative protection of rare animals in oceanariums. It has completed more than 200 operations in total, achieving a breakthrough in the technological application of my country's bionic underwater equipment towards practical application.