{
  "id": 10572466,
  "title": "Chinese team sets world record with swarm of 116 underwater drones",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/chinese-team-sets-world-record-with-swarm-of-116-underwater-drones",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-29T01:00:17.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Reuters Business via SCMP",
    "slug": "reuters-business-via-scmp",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3369031/chinese-team-sets-world-record-swarm-116-underwater-drones"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On September 24, a Chinese research team from Northwestern Polytechnical University and Xian Tianhe Maritime Technologies set a new Guinness World Record by deploying 116 autonomous underwater drones simultaneously in a swimming pool. The trial took place on August 29, under the supervision of Guinness World Records officials, and successfully demonstrated the vehicles' ability to navigate autonomously for 34 minutes over a 500-meter route without human intervention. The TH-618 drones, each measuring 61.5cm long and 20cm wide, weighed 5.14kg and had a maximum range of 30km, capable of operating continuously for over eight hours. Equipped with mobile phone vision cameras, the drones adapted to route disturbances by making corrections and adjustments. The university's statement highlighted the global challenge of achieving stable coordination among large numbers of underwater vehicles, with this breakthrough representing a significant advancement in large-scale underwater unmanned system navigation. China is rapidly advancing its autonomous vehicle technologies, including drone swarms across land, air, and sea, as global combat shifts towards unmanned systems. The university's TH-618 drones have various applications, such as sea floor mapping and oil and gas pipeline inspection, as demonstrated by their partner, Xian Tianhe Maritime Technologies.",
  "summary": "A Chinese team has set a world record for the most autonomous underwater drones operating at the same time, deploying more than a hundred of the small robots in a swimming pool test. The Guinness World Record for “most autonomous underwater vehicles operating simultaneously” was set by a team from Northwestern Polytechnical University in collaboration with Xian Tianhe Maritime Technologies. The…",
  "key_points": [
    "Chinese research team sets Guinness World Record with 116 underwater drones.",
    "TH-618 drones autonomously navigated 500-meter route for 34 minutes.",
    "Drones equipped with mobile phone vision cameras for route corrections."
  ],
  "editors_take": "This breakthrough in large-scale underwater drone navigation solidifies China's lead in autonomous vehicle technologies, including drone swarms, and paves the way for expanded applications in sea floor mapping and pipeline inspection.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "South China Morning Post",
        "title": "Chinese team sets world record with swarm of 116 underwater drones",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/chinese-team-sets-world-record-with-swarm-of-116-underwater-drones-10577951",
        "published": "2026-09-29T01:00:17.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}