TMTPOST -- While the world’s eyes often turn skyward at the exploits of SpaceX and other space ventures, a quieter revolution is taking place beneath the waves. Humanity’s exploration of the deep ocean—one of Earth’s final frontiers—has historically lagged far behind space exploration. Yet, with the rise of intelligent underwater robotics, the race to unlock the ocean’s resources is entering a new era.
Over 90% of the world’s oceans lie deeper than 1,000 meters, harboring untapped reserves of oil, gas, and precious minerals, as well as unique ecosystems. Despite this potential, human access remains limited. Current saturation diving technology allows humans to reach only about 300 meters below sea level. Beyond this, the dark, high-pressure environment can be explored only through specialized robots capable of operating at extreme depths.
Globally, only a few countries have the capability to independently develop deep-sea robotic systems capable of operating several thousand meters underwater. The United States and Canada, for example, have seen rapid growth in the underwater robotics sector, fueled by offshore energy development and national defense needs. Leading companies such as Schlumberger, Oceaneering International, and Saab Seaeye dominate this niche, supplying high-tech solutions for deep-sea exploration.
China’s journey into underwater robotics began in 1986 with the successful trial of its first tethered remotely operated vehicle (ROV), “Hai Ren No.1,” in the South China Sea. Subsequent milestones included the 6,000-meter-class autonomous underwater vehicle CR-01 in 1995 and the 7,000-meter-class manned submersible “Jiaolong” in 2012. In recent years, China has achieved breakthroughs with its “Qianlong” series of autonomous vehicles and the “Haidou” full-ocean-depth ARV, establishing a complete underwater robotics ecosystem that spans all ocean depths. These technologies now support scientific research, deep-sea resource extraction, offshore wind power operations, and military applications.
The global ocean economy is increasingly relying on intelligent systems. Deep-sea robots are now deployed in energy development, national defense, and ecological restoration. According to Wanchuang Investment Bank, there are more than 200 submarine cable failures annually worldwide, with manual repair costs reaching up to $5 million per incident.
Robotic solutions can reduce such costs by over 40%. Furthermore, global offshore wind capacity is projected to reach 500 GW by 2025, with China leading the sector for two consecutive years. The demand for underwater robots in wind power operations is growing at an annual rate of 23%, creating a new growth engine for the deep-sea economy. Deep-sea mining is also expected to be a lucrative sector, with the market size forecasted to exceed $15 billion by 2025.
China’s domestic market for underwater robots has grown dramatically. From 2018 to 2022, market size expanded from 1.24 billion yuan to 6.27 billion yuan, averaging annual growth of 38.6%. By 2025, it is expected to surpass 8 billion yuan, with projections reaching over 30 billion yuan by 2027. Globally, the market for fully delivered deep-sea robots is expected to reach 420 billion yuan by 2028, with related engineering services projected at 1.5 trillion yuan.
For years, China’s underwater robotics industry was heavily reliant on imported core components, limiting its global competitiveness. In 2018, import dependency for core components reached 85%, with propulsion systems over 90% and high-precision sensors nearly 80%. This dependence constrained domestic innovation and production. However, accelerated domestic substitution has significantly reduced reliance on foreign technology. By 2025, import dependency for core components is expected to fall below 20%.
Founded in 2005, Future Robotics is a leading private company that has achieved full localization across the entire industry chain, from core components to complete control systems. To date, it has launched over 50 deep-sea robot models, with maximum diving depths of up to 6,000 meters. Its products are exported to more than 30 countries and regions.
Recently, Future Robotics completed a strategic Series A funding round, raising several hundred million yuan from major domestic industrial funds, including PetroChina Kunlun Capital, with Wanchuang Investment Bank acting as financial advisor. Funds will focus on core technology R&D, market expansion, and industrialization initiatives.
In an exclusive interview, Tao Zewen, founder and CEO of Future Robotics, detailed the company’s journey overcoming technological bottlenecks, achieving domestic substitution, and emerging as a global competitor.
Tao described how the deep-sea robotics sector was long constrained by foreign-controlled technology. “Many companies could only assemble products using imported components, which led to high costs, long lead times, and slow innovation. Take our recently localized hydraulic vector manipulator arm as an example: foreign products sell for over 4 million yuan, while our domestic version costs less than 2 million yuan,” he said.
He also recalled a formative moment at a 2016 domestic exhibition when a foreign company prevented him from closely examining a small ROV. “The sense of humiliation I felt made me realize that domestic substitution cannot wait. Key technologies cannot be begged for or purchased—they must be mastered independently,” Tao explained.
Tao detailed the painstaking process of localizing core components. For the 3,500-meter deep-sea suspended operation robot, key challenges included pressure resistance, long-distance transmission, and communication. With over 10,000 parts per robot, the company established 22 specialized project teams across software, hardware, hydraulics, and high-voltage electricity. Through tens of thousands of experiments, Future Robotics delivered a 4-ton, 150-horsepower deep-sea robot.
The company has invested heavily in organizing upstream and downstream domestic industrial chains to jointly tackle technical challenges, achieving technological independence and promoting the overall upgrade of China’s underwater robotics industry.
Tao stated that China has now caught up with leading international companies in the ROV field. “Our current products’ price, performance, stability, and operational efficiency have reached world-class standards. The remaining challenge is how quickly the market accepts our products.”
He noted that some customers remain hesitant due to longstanding trust in foreign brands and entrenched distribution channels. However, the company’s success has already pressured foreign manufacturers to reduce prices, improve service, and provide faster spare parts delivery.
Future Robotics has already secured overseas orders through 2026, for products such as granite-cutting and dredging robots in countries including Russia, Singapore, and Peru. At peak times, overseas orders accounted for up to 70% of total orders.
With the Series A funding, Tao said the company will continue pushing cutting-edge technology, building an integrated industry chain covering deep-sea equipment foundations, R&D, testing, and applications. The goal is to contribute to China’s maritime power and become an internationally recognized supplier of deep-sea robots.
He emphasized the importance of persistence in domestic substitution. “Localization is extremely challenging. No one will offer help when you need it most; you can only grit your teeth and persevere. Keep pushing forward every day—success will eventually come.”
CNPC Kunlun Capital highlighted that marine equipment is central to China’s maritime strategy. Key technologies such as deep-sea operation robots are vital for overcoming “chokepoint” technologies and achieving domestic substitution. Future Robotics was recognized as a pioneer, independently launching multiple work-class robots and leading the localization of deep-sea work-class robots.
The investment aligns with CNPC’s focus on deep-sea and deep-earth energy, including offshore oil and gas exploration, pipeline monitoring, and maintenance. Strategic investment in Future Robotics supports upstream deep-sea oil and gas exploration, midstream marine equipment manufacturing, and downstream engineering services, ensuring a complete domestic supply chain.
As China’s underwater robotics industry enters an era of domestic self-reliance and international competitiveness, companies like Future Robotics exemplify the blend of technological innovation, industrial strategy, and entrepreneurial persistence driving the sector forward.
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