Explorer AUV

Lore & Background

The Explorer AUV was developed under the 863 Program, with Feng Xisheng, a professor of the Shipbuilding Engineering Institute of Harbin Engineering University, named as general designer, and Xu Huangnan, a professor of Shanghai Jiao Tong University and general designer of 8A4 class ROUVs, named as deputy general designer. The AUV's control system consists of three computers: a central control computer, a positioning computer, and an imagery computer. The central control computer can interface with a remotely operated module, allowing the Explorer to operate either as an AUV or as a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROUV). Its navigation system uses GPS, Doppler velocity measurement, directional gyro, short baseline positioning, ultra short baseline positioning, visual tracking, and a fluxgate compass, with data processed by the navigational computer. The main propulsion system uses lead-acid batteries providing 120 V direct current, converted to 220 V alternating current for electronics.

The communication system includes surface and underwater subsystems linked via an acoustic communication module. The underwater communication system comprises a sonar controlling module and a communication computer. The sonar control module processes and compresses imagery data and communicates with the communication computer. Environmental sensors include underwater cameras and sonar; the camera can store 250 high-resolution photos. Information is recorded onboard and simultaneously passed to the operator console on the mother ship. An extensive built-in diagnostic system can automatically fix minor problems and, for major mishaps, alerts the mother ship while directing the AUV to ascend to the surface. The success of the Explorer AUV provided the foundation for Chinese cooperation with Russia to jointly develop the next Chinese AUV, the WZODA AUV.

Reader's Guide

The Explorer AUV is significant as the first autonomous underwater vehicle developed by the People's Republic of China, marking the beginning of the country's indigenous AUV capability. Its development under the 863 Program brought together multiple Chinese research and educational institutions, establishing a collaborative framework that would be used for subsequent projects. The vehicle's design, including its three-computer control system and hybrid AUV/ROUV operational mode, demonstrated a versatile approach to underwater robotics. The experience gained from the Explorer directly influenced later Chinese AUVs such as the Wukong, WZODA, CR series, Exploration series, Micro Dragon series, Sea Whale series, and Submerged Dragon series. Furthermore, the Explorer's success enabled a joint Sino-Russian development program that produced the WZODA AUV and the subsequent CR-01 and CR-02 series. The general designer of the Explorer, Feng Xisheng, was later promoted to academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1999, partly due to the success of the CR-01 series. The Explorer thus served as both a technological foundation and a catalyst for international cooperation in Chinese AUV development.

Did You Know?

• The Explorer AUV can operate both as an autonomous underwater vehicle and as a remotely operated underwater vehicle.
• The Explorer AUV is not to be confused with the American Autonomous Benthic Explorer AUV (ABE) or the Canadian Explorer AUV.