China completes land-based testing of deep-sea ROV manipulator

China's first remotely operated vehicle with a seven-function manipulator completes land-based testing, April 23, 2025. (Photo provided to China News Service)

(ECNS) -- China's first remotely operated vehicle with a seven-function manipulator has completed land-based testing, China's Offshore Oil Engineering Co. said Wednesday.

This marks China's entry into a select group of countries capable of designing, manufacturing and deploying core equipment for deepwater remotely operated vehicles, providing critical support for the development of the nation's deepwater oil and gas resources..

As a core piece of equipment in marine engineering, the seven-function manipulator on a ROV features extension, retraction, swinging, rotation, opening, gripping, and clamping capabilities, enabling it to perform intricate tasks in the deep-sea, including repositioning, positioning, observation, measurement, pushing and pulling, and tightening with precision.

The manipulator weighs approximately 60 kilograms, which is about 35 percent lighter compared to other products, significantly reducing the load burden on the ROV. The seven-function manipulator can achieve human-machine collaborations, significantly enhancing operational efficiency.

Once deployed, the manipulator is expected to greatly reduce procurement and maintenance costs at up to ten million yuan ($$??) annually. It can be widely used in fields including deepwater oil and gas development, deep-sea mining, and offshore wind power installation in the future.

In recent years, COOEC has established independent R&D and manufacturing capabilities for more than ten types of key deep-sea equipment, achieving a major leap forward in technological advancement.

(By Li Yan)