The AI-powered drone carrier is described as a new ‘marine species.’

China has announced a fully autonomous ship that can carry a large number of drones, submersibles and other equipment for the conduct of marine research. The ship, named Zhu Hai Yun, can be controlled remotely and is able to navigate the open seas. On a somewhat somber note, the ship can also “quickly intercept, besiege and expel invasive targets.” (SCMP)

Mobile Ocean Stereo Observing System (IMOSOS)

According to the Chinese state-owned media outlet Science and Technology Daily, the ship is equipped with an intelligent Mobile Ocean Stereo Observing System (IMOSOS) developed by the Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai).

The system encompasses the various unmanned vehicles, including drones, unmanned ships, and submersibles that can be ferried by the ship on its spacious deck. Notably, the Zhu Hai Yun is 88.5 meters long, 14 meters wide, and 6.1 meters deep.

The ship has a designed displacement of 2,000 tonnes and can sail at 13 knots (24 km per hour), with a top speed of 18 knots (33 km per hour).

Zhu Hai Yun: Research capabilities

The ship has multiple applications that include gathering maritime information, marine environment monitoring, disaster management, even maintenance operations on offshore wind farms.

“The intelligent, unmanned ship is a beautiful, new ‘marine species’ that will bring revolutionary changes for ocean observation,” Chen Dake, director of the laboratory, reportedly commented in 2021.

The ship will be put through trial runs soon. It was fabricated at the Huangpu Wenchong Shipyard, a subsidiary of China’s largest shipbuilding company, the China State Shipbuilding Corporation, in Guangzhou.

It is expected to be delivered by the end of 2022.

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