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This Tiny Robot Explored the Deepest Oceans—and Came Back Alive!

The deep sea is one of the least explored areas on Earth, full of mysterious creatures and extreme environments. Exploring it requires advanced technology, especially robots that can survive and operate in high-pressure, low-light conditions. Recently, a team of engineers from Beihang University, in collaboration with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Zhejiang University, has made a significant breakthrough. They have developed a miniature marine robot that can swim, crawl, and glide—completely untethered—in the deepest parts of the ocean.

This tiny but powerful robot is a milestone in the field of marine robotics. Weighing just 16 grams and built with smart materials, it has successfully explored regions as deep as the Mariana Trench—10,666 meters below the surface. In this article, we will explore how this robot works, what makes it special, and how it is changing the way we interact with the deep sea.

This Tiny Robot Explored the Deepest Oceans—and Came Back Alive!

Why Do We Need Deep-Sea Robots?

The ocean covers more than 70% of the Earth's surface, but we have explored only a small part of it. The deeper parts of the ocean are even more difficult to study because of extreme pressure, darkness, and low temperatures. Sending humans to such depths is dangerous and expensive. That's why we use robots.

Traditional deep-sea robots are usually large, heavy, and connected to a ship by a cable (tether). They often disturb the sea floor, making it hard to observe marine life in its natural state. These robots also lack the flexibility needed for delicate tasks like collecting soft sea creatures or navigating narrow spaces.

The new miniature robot changes all of that. It’s small, light, and can move freely without any cables. It’s also gentle and agile, making it perfect for deep-sea exploration and scientific missions.

The Science Behind the Robot

1. Soft Actuator with Bistable Metamaterials

The robot's heart is its actuator—a soft, flexible part that allows it to move. This actuator is designed using bistable chiral metamaterials and shape memory alloys (SMAs).

  • Bistable means it has two stable positions, like a light switch that can stay on or off.

  • Chiral metamaterials are engineered structures that twist in specific ways, allowing more control over motion.

  • Shape memory alloys are smart materials that "remember" a shape and return to it when heated.

Thanks to this design, the robot can snap quickly between two forms:

  • One for swimming or gliding, with fins and tail extended.

  • One for crawling, with its legs unfolded and ready to walk on the sea floor.

The change is powered by springs made from SMAs, which activate in response to temperature or electrical signals.

2. Compact Size and Weight

The entire actuator weighs only 16 grams, and the robot itself is centimeter-scale, making it one of the smallest deep-sea robots ever developed. Its small size is not a disadvantage—on the contrary, it helps the robot move smoothly without disturbing its surroundings.

3. Multimodal Locomotion

The robot can move in three different ways:

  • Swimming using soft fins and tail to flap gently.

  • Gliding through the water like a flying fish.

  • Crawling on the ocean floor using tiny legs.

This flexibility allows the robot to adapt to different underwater environments and tasks.

Real-Life Tests in the Deep Sea

To prove its capabilities, the robot was tested in real deep-sea environments:

Haima Cold Seep – 1,384 meters deep

The robot performed swimming and crawling operations successfully. It was deployed from a manned submersible and later retrieved without any damage.

Mariana Trench – 10,666 meters deep

This is the deepest known point on Earth. The robot performed flawlessly, showcasing its durability and functional design under extreme pressure.

In both cases, the robot behaved similarly to how it performed in a laboratory aquarium, proving that its design works in both high-pressure and normal-pressure environments.

A Soft Gripper for Delicate Deep-Sea Tasks

The research team didn’t stop with just the robot. Using the same bistable chiral metamaterial design, they created a wearable soft gripper. This tool can be attached to robotic arms or divers' suits to:

  • Collect soft sea creatures without harming them.

  • Manipulate heavy objects (even at 3,400-meter depths).

This gripper adds more functionality to the robot and opens up new possibilities for marine biology and archaeology.

How Is This Robot Different from Traditional Ones?

Let’s compare this new robot with traditional deep-sea robots:

Feature Traditional Robots New Miniature Robot
Size Large and bulky Centimeter-scale
Weight Several kilograms Only 16 grams
Power Source Usually powered by surface ship via tether Battery-powered and untethered
Movement Limited, mostly swimming Swimming, gliding, crawling
Flexibility Rigid and slow Soft and agile
Disturbance Stir up seabed sediments Minimal disturbance
Cost Expensive Cost-effective and compact
Applications Limited to observation Observation, collection, and interaction

As you can see, the new robot offers many advantages and can perform complex missions with less environmental impact.

Future Applications

The success of this robot opens the door to many future applications, including:

  1. Marine Biology

    • Studying deep-sea creatures in their natural habitats.

    • Collecting samples without causing harm.

  2. Underwater Archaeology

    • Exploring sunken ships and lost cities.

    • Navigating tight spaces where traditional robots cannot go.

  3. Environmental Monitoring

    • Tracking changes in underwater ecosystems.

    • Measuring pollution levels or temperature changes.

  4. Search and Rescue

    • Helping locate wreckage or missing submarines.

    • Assisting in underwater recovery missions.

  5. Military and Surveillance

    • Silent and invisible underwater monitoring.

    • Checking pipelines or cables without being detected.

Challenges and Limitations

Despite its success, the robot also faces some challenges:

  • Battery Life: Due to its small size, the robot’s battery has limited power. Future versions may use more efficient batteries or energy-harvesting methods.

  • Control System: Being autonomous is still a work in progress. Right now, it requires a microcontroller and predefined instructions.

  • Payload: Its small size means it can carry only limited sensors or tools.

Researchers are already working on solving these problems, aiming for even smarter and more capable versions in the future.

Conclusion

The development of this miniature marine robot marks a big step forward in underwater exploration. Small, flexible, and capable of multiple modes of movement, it has proven itself in the harshest ocean environments. The smart use of soft materials and metamaterial design allows it to swim, glide, and crawl—just like creatures of the deep.

This robot not only helps scientists understand the ocean better but also represents a new generation of underwater machines that are more efficient, less invasive, and highly adaptable. As research continues, we can expect to see more such mini-marvels diving into the unknown, revealing the secrets of the deep sea.

Reference: Fei Pan et al, Miniature deep-sea morphable robot with multimodal locomotion, Science Robotics (2025). DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.adp7821

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