China’s world-first drone carrier is a new ‘marine species’ using AI for unmanned maritime intelligence

[beijingwalker]

China’s world-first drone carrier is a new ‘marine species’ using AI for unmanned maritime intelligence​

• Unmanned ship launched on Wednesday can carry dozens of drones, unmanned ships and submersibles to create a powerful ocean research tool, state journal says
• 88-metre vessel can reportedly quickly intercept, besiege and expel invasive targets

Published: 8:00pm, 19 May, 2022

On Wednesday China launched the world’s first unmanned ship. The ship, Zhu Hai Yun has a top speed of 18 knots and can carry dozens of drone aircraft and unmanned water craft. Photo: Handout
China launched the world’s first drone carrier capable of operating on its own on Wednesday.

The unmanned ship, which can be controlled remotely and navigate autonomously in open water, will be a powerful tool for the nation to carry out marine scientific research and observation, according to the state-run Science and Technology Daily.

It comes as artificial intelligence plays an increasingly important role in maintaining maritime security, controlling sea lanes and competing for marine resources. China aims to use AI technology to expand its maritime influence.

Construction of the ship, named Zhu Hai Yun, was started in July last year in Guangzhou by the Huangpu Wenchong Shipyard, a subsidiary of China’s largest shipbuilding company the China State Shipbuilding Corporation. It is expected to be delivered by the end of this year after completing sea trials.

The wide deck of the ship can carry dozens of unmanned vehicles, including drones, unmanned ships and submersibles, and the equipment will be able to form a network to observe targets, according to the report.

Zhu Hai Yun is expected to be delivered by the end of this year. Photo: Weibo

The equipment is part of the vessel’s Intelligent Mobile Ocean Stereo Observing System (IMOSOS) developed by the Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai).

The system is also the world’s first. Science and Technology Daily said it could serve as an efficient tool for marine disaster prevention and mitigation, marine environment monitoring, offshore wind farm maintenance and providing accurate marine information.

The ship is 88.5 metres long, 14 metres wide and 6.1 metres deep (290 feet long, 46 feet wide and 20 feet deep), with a designed displacement of 2,000 tonnes. It can sail at a speed of 13 knots, with a top speed of 18 knots.


“The intelligent, unmanned ship is a beautiful, new ‘marine species’ that will bring revolutionary changes for ocean observation,” Chen Dake, director of the laboratory, was quoted as saying by the Science and Technology Daily in 2021.

Fan Lei, chief designer at the Huangpu Wenchong shipyard, said a high proportion of the ship was made locally.

“The power systems, propulsion systems, intelligence systems and survey operation support systems equipped are all developed by China,” Fan told the newspaper last year.

China is the world’s biggest shipbuilder and it is rising as a “maritime great power”. The country has invested heavily in developing research vessels in recent years.

Last year, Zhuhai Yunzhou Intelligence Technology Co, a leading developer of unmanned surface vehicles, announced the company had developed an unmanned high-speed vessel, a breakthrough in its “dynamic cooperation confrontation technology”, according to the state-owned Global Times.

The report said the vessel could quickly intercept, besiege and expel invasive targets and it marked a milestone in the development of unmanned maritime intelligence equipment.

AI and unmanned systems could enhance China’s marine supervision capacity with a low cost and high efficiency, according to experts.

China has already widely used unmanned equipment systems in areas such as maritime rescue and marine environment monitoring, Xu Shusheng, a researcher with the South China Sea Administration of the Ministry of Natural Resources, wrote in a paper in 2020.

“With the development of 5G technology, China should seize the opportunity and apply the new achievements in the field of marine supervision,” Xu said.

China’s world-first drone carrier is an autonomous new ‘marine species’

Unmanned ship launched on Wednesday can carry dozens of drones, unmanned ships and submersibles to create a powerful ocean research tool, state journal says.

www.scmp.com

 

[beijingwalker]

China Launches First Drone Carrier With Artificial Intelligence​

China has launched a drone carrier with a one-of-a-kind artificial intelligence system on Wednesday.​

WorldEdited by Diksha RaniUpdated: May 21, 2022 2:26 pm IST

China has launched a drone carrier with a one-of-a-kind artificial intelligence system on Wednesday which includes dozens of autonomous drones, ships, and submersibles for marine research and observation, according to The South China Morning Post.

The drone carrier which is capable of operating on its own, the 88-meter-long, 14-meter-wide, and 6-meter-deep vessel can be controlled remotely or navigate autonomously in open water, as well as build a network to observe targets and contribute to maritime security, the SCMP further said.

According to the state-run Science and Technology Daily, the automated ship, which can be operated remotely and navigate autonomously in wide ocean, will be a powerful tool for the nation to conduct maritime scientific research and observation.

This vessel has been named as ‘Zhu Hai Yun'. It has a speed of 18 knots and can carry dozens of drone aircraft and unmanned water craft. The Intelligent Mobile Ocean Stereo Observing System (IMOSOS), built by the Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), also known as the "Southern Ocean Laboratory" of Sun Yat-sen University.

According to a statement by, CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipping Co, that built the vessel, the carrier's swarm of autonomous drones, ships, and submersibles can be deployed in a designated sea area and conduct "three-dimensional dynamic observations."

The vessel is expected to increase the effectiveness and level of ocean observation and also assisting in the development of better marine scientific and technological talent and improving innovation, the company further said.

China Launches First Drone Carrier With Artificial Intelligence: Report

China has launched a drone carrier with a one-of-a-kind artificial intelligence system on Wednesday which includes dozens of autonomous drones, ships, and submersibles for marine research and observation.

www.ndtv.com

 

[beijingwalker]

China’s world-first drone-carrier capable of operating on its own

 

[beijingwalker]

Intelligent unmanned research ship delivered for use in S. China​

China delivers the world’s first autonomous seaborne drone-carrier
By Global Times
Published: Jan 13, 2023 02:01 AM

China on Thursday delivered the world’s first seaborne drone carrier, the Zhu Hai Yun, capable of operating on its own. The unmanned carrier can be controlled remotely and navigate autonomously in open water. It will undertake marine scientific research and other observations.

The Zhu Hai Yun entered its home port of Zhuhai Gaolan port in South China’s Guangdong Province on Thursday morning and was officially put into use after a year and a half of construction.

Built under the auspices of the Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), the Zhu Hai Yun is the world’s first unmanned system scientific research ship with autonomous navigation and remote-control functions, and has been awarded the first intelligent ship certificate by the China Classification Society (CCS).

The design and construction of the Zhu Hai Yun have followed the principles of green intelligence, scientific support for unmanned systems and "sense of the future." Meanwhile, its power systems, propulsion systems, intelligent systems, power positioning systems and investigation support systems have been independently developed by Chinese research teams.

“This is the first professional sea trial of the Zhu Hai Yun, which aims to test its autonomous navigation performance and the launching of the unmanned craft,” said Chen Dake, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and director of the Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory.

For the first time, the carrier navigated autonomously for 12 consecutive hours, and realized obstacle avoidance and path planning. It achieved the desired effect and validated the design, Chen added.

The 88.5-meter-long intelligent unmanned carrier is one of the landmark achievements of the Southern Marine Laboratory, with a designed displacement of about 2,100 tons and a top speed of 18 knots.

The ship has a spacious rear deck, which can carry a variety of unmanned air, sea and submarine observation instruments. It can carry out comprehensive marine survey tasks such as ocean surveying and mapping, ocean observation, sea patrol and partial survey and sampling.

China builds world’s first autonomous seaborne drone-carrier - Global Times

www.globaltimes.cn