Role & capabilities
- Hadal scientific observation
- Underwater sample collection
- Collaborative robotics research
- Primary domain
- Underwater
- System type
- Autonomous underwater vehicle
- Developer / manufacturer
- Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Origin / production countries
- China
- Other names
- Haidou 1
- Variants / configurations
- Not distinguished in reviewed sources
- Operators / programme customers
- Chinese Academy of Sciences research teams
Evidence & current status
Scientific use is documented. No military service claim is made; this is supporting technology coverage.
Haidou-1 is a deep-ocean research vehicle led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Shenyang Institute of Automation. The institute classifies it as an autonomous and remotely operated vehicle, reflecting its ability to combine broad survey tasks with closely supervised observation and intervention. It should not be confused with the crewed Fendouzhe submersible or with separate naval vehicles displayed at military parades.
In July 2026 the institute reported a completed scientific voyage in the Philippine Sea aboard Tansuo-3. Haidou-1 conducted seven hadal dives and worked with Fendouzhe and a seabed lander at roughly 7,700 metres. The account describes geological sampling, visual documentation and equipment interaction, providing direct evidence of research use.
Its relevance here is the underlying underwater robotics technology and China's wider uncrewed maritime ecosystem. The sources reviewed do not establish that Haidou-1 itself serves in a military fleet. A scientific depth achievement is therefore recorded as such, rather than being transferred to an unnamed defence platform. Dimensions, endurance and a complete configuration-specific sensor table remain outside the evidence obtained in this review.
Sourced specifications
Figures apply to the named configuration. Maximum values are not guaranteed operating performance.
| Specification | Reported value | Context & source |
|---|---|---|
| Configuration | Hybrid autonomous/remotely operated research vehicle | Published configuration or reported trial baseline; not a guarantee for all variants. Source ↗ |
| Hull / propulsion | Not established in the reviewed public sources. | Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted. Source ↗ |
| Dimensions | Not established in the reviewed public sources. | Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted. Source ↗ |
| Displacement / mass | Not established in the reviewed public sources. | Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted. Source ↗ |
| Payload | Not established in the reviewed public sources. | Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted. Source ↗ |
| Endurance | Not established in the reviewed public sources. | Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted. Source ↗ |
| Range | Not established in the reviewed public sources. | Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted. Source ↗ |
| Speed | Not established in the reviewed public sources. | Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted. Source ↗ |
| Operating depth | Approximately 7,700 m in the reported 2026 joint operations | Demonstrated expedition depth, not the vehicle's maximum design rating. Source ↗ |
| Sensors | Not established in the reviewed public sources. | Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted. Source ↗ |
| Communications / control | Not established in the reviewed public sources. | Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted. Source ↗ |
| Launch / deployment | Research ship Tansuo-3 for the reported 2026 expedition | Published configuration or reported trial baseline; not a guarantee for all variants. Source ↗ |
Publication history
- — Added in the September 2026 global coverage review, with sources, configuration limits and explicit data gaps.
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Source types identify who makes the claim. Programme milestones and supplier statements should be read in context.