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China's 116-Drone Swarm Sets World Record with No Human Input
The 34-minute pool test showed the drones navigating in sequence with no human intervention, highlighting civilian and industrial uses.
- On August 29, Northwestern Polytechnical University set a Guinness World Record by deploying 116 autonomous underwater vehicles called TH-618s in a 50m by 20m pool. The swarm navigated 500 metres without human intervention for 34 minutes.
- Coordinated navigation of hundreds of underwater vehicles is a core challenge due to difficult communication conditions and environmental disturbances. The university stated this successful test represents a breakthrough in managing large-scale coordinated unmanned systems.
- Each 11.33lb TH-618 drone, developed with Xian Tianhe Maritime Technologies, measures 61.5cm long and 20cm wide. The vehicles use mobile phone vision camera systems to interpret surroundings and adjust paths when disturbances push them off course.
- A European Union-funded project previously demonstrated 41 autonomous robots, but China's new record more than doubles that figure. Global militaries are shifting toward uncrewed systems across air, land, and water platforms.
- Researchers have proposed using coordinated drone swarms to defend contested islands in the South China Sea by covering detection blind spots. Civilian applications include detailed seabed surveys and inspections of oil and gas pipelines.
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The IndependentReposted by 
The Independent (US)
The Independent (US)Chinese team sets world record with underwater drones
The vehicles carried out autonomous underwater formation navigation with no human intervention for 34 minutes over 500m
·London, United Kingdom
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A team of Chinese researchers set a world record for the number of autonomous submarine vehicles operating simultaneously within a single king.
·Romania
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Leaning Left2Leaning Right1Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution50% Center
Bias Distribution
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50% Center
L 33%
C 50%
R 17%
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