Chinese researchers develop transparent jellyfish-inspired robot for underwater exploration

A research team led by Professor Tao Kai from the School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering of Northwestern Polytechnical University has successfully developed a fully transparent, jellyfish-shaped bionic robot. Nicknamed the "Underwater Phantom," the robot is nearly invisible to the naked eye when submerged and is capable of intelligent underwater exploration and real-time environmental monitoring, according to media reports.

The robot measures only 120 millimeters in diameter and weighs just 56 grams. It is powered by the team's independently developed electrohydraulic artificial muscles and innovative hydrogel electrode materials, the Science and Technology Daily reported.

These technologies enable it to precisely mimic the fluid, vortex-based propulsion of real jellyfish, allowing for efficient and nearly silent "stealth" operation underwater. Its actuator array consumes as little as 28.5 milliwatts of power, making long-term covert underwater missions possible.

The research team has deeply integrated artificial intelligence into the bionic platform. Equipped with a miniature camera module and an embedded AI processing chip, the robot can maintain stable hovering in dynamic aquatic environments and accurately identify specific underwater targets.

According to Tao, the jellyfish robot's ultra-low power consumption, low noise, and high-level biomimicry give it unique advantages in applications such as deep-sea monitoring, observation in ecologically sensitive areas, and precision inspection of underwater infrastructure. The innovation, he said, offers a breakthrough solution to key technical challenges in extreme-environment deep-sea exploration.