World's first UAV gravity measurement system debuts at Airshow China

The world's first low-altitude gravity measurement system based on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) made its public debut at the ongoing 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, or Airshow China 2024.

The system, developed by China State Shipbuilding Corporation's (CSSC) 707th Research Institute, was showcased at the event in Zhuhai, south China's Guangdong Province, where 1,022 companies from 47 countries and regions have gathered for the six-day event.

At the CSIC booths, the eight-rotor drone appears to be conventional, but it carries specialized equipment that sets it apart from other commercial UAVs.

"It is integrated with a high-precision gravity sensor. When the gravity changes, the gravity sensor can reflect the change of the Earth's gravitational field through high-precision current detection," said Chu Ning, head of gravity survey technology at 707th Research Institute CSSC, developer of the system.

Gravimetry is the measurement of the strength of a gravitational field, according to different purposes or requirements. Gravimeters may be used when either the magnitude of a gravitational field or the properties of matter responsible for its creation are of interest.

Measuring accurate gravity data can not only help aircraft and rockets and other aerospace spacecraft to calculate the trajectory and speed, but also help scientists carrying out scientific research in physics, geology and other fields.

"The UAV-based gravity measurement system features high precision, high measuring efficiency, wide coverage area, and it can make up the inaccessibility of manpower. It can be widely used in earth science research, including resource exploration and other fields. It fills a gap in the field of low altitude gravity measurement technology," said Song Chao, head of marketing department at 707th Research Institute.

World's first UAV gravity measurement system debuts at Airshow China

South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region saw a year-on-year growth of 10 percent in trade with countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) from January to November this year, according to Nanning Customs.

In the first 11 months of 2025, Guangxi's imports and exports with ASEAN members reached 384.22 billion yuan (about 54.46 billion U.S. dollars), accounting for 52.9 percent of the provincial-level region's total foreign trade during this period, said the authority.

Among them, Vietnam remained Guangxi's largest trading partner in the ASEAN region, with trade growing by 7.1 percent. The growth rates with Indonesia and Singapore were also remarkable, standing at 51.7 percent and 62.7 percent respectively.

During the same period, Guangxi imported and exported a total of 726.54 billion yuan worth of goods, increasing by 9.5 percent year on year, the customs data showed.

South China's Guangxi sees 10-pct growth in trade with ASEAN in Jan-Nov period