Qianlong 3, China's newest unmanned submersible, made its first public display in the Shenyang branch of the Chinese Academy of Sciences on May 19. It was a highlight of a two day science promotion public event.

The submersible, jointly developed by State Oceanic Administration and Shenyang Institute of Automation, is China's self-developed 4,500-meter-level unmanned submersible.

It conducted its first dive in the South China Sea in April, proving its superior maneuverability and longer working time compared with its predecessors——which will allow more complex studies of seabed environments for scientific or mining purposes.

Qianlong 3, or "diving dragon", is said by some to look like a clownfish because of its signature orange and white stripes, big eyes and wavy tail. The submersible is an impressive 3.5 meters long, and 1.5 meters high, and weighs 1.5 metric tons.

Scientists can easily spot and retrieve Qianlong 3 thanks to its bright stripes. Its big mouth holds a highly sensitive sonar system that can detect obstacles and steer accordingly.

The two big eyes are propellers that help turn the submersible more quickly, and the fins are fully rotatable rudders that allow Qianlong 3 to move freely.

Its tail serves both as a navigation tool and a sensitive magnetic and metal detector that can notice changes in the mineral content of water. This will be useful in collecting data for deep-sea mining and scientific research.

In addition to Qianlong 3, visitors also had free access to 60 laboratories, robot exhibition halls and specimens rooms to learn about the latest discoveries and innovations inscience and technology, according to Ma Yuehong, deputy dean of Shenyang branch of China Academy of Sciences.

The event lasted to May 20.

Qianlong 3, China's newest unmanned submersible, on its first public display in the Shenyang branch of Chinese Academy of Sciences on May 19. [Photo/Chinanews.com]