Development and Sea Trials of the Wenhai-1 Hybrid Underwater Vehicle for Comprehensive Survey of Gravity, Magnetism, Topography, and Sampling

Deep-sea autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) play a crucial role in marine exploration but are limited primarily to sensor data collection and seafloor mapping. Recognizing the need for exploration, inspection, and intervention tasks, there is a growing interest in hybrid underwater vehicles. These vehicles, powered by self-contained batteries and equipped with manipulators, offer autonomous navigation, exploration, and intervention capabilities. This paper introduces Wenhai-l, a new hybrid deep-sea vehicle developed at the Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Wenhai-l operates in various modes and is equipped with oceanographic survey devices, manipulators, and sensors. Sea trials in the South China Sea validated its design, highlighting the effective integration of detection and intervention tasks. Wenhai-l has demonstrated potential applications in environmental studies, oceanography, geology, and biology, positioning itself as a versatile platform for comprehensive underwater operations.