China on Wednesday released several scientific findings from the second leg of the 15th deep-sea geological survey voyage carried out by Chinese marine research vessel Haiyang Dizhi-6 (Ocean Geology 6), the China Geological Survey said.
The vessel set sail on Aug 29 this year and spent 95 days at sea, covering a total distance of 12,673 nautical miles.
During the mission, a large number of valuable data and samples were collected, including deep-sea environmental data, deep-sea water samples, seabed sediments, polymetallic nodules, and deep-sea biological samples. In addition, new progress was made in the application of key deep-sea exploration technologies and equipment.
"For the first time in the deep waters of the Pacific Ocean, we deployed our independently-developed 6,000-meter deep-sea remotely-operated vehicle and a domestically-produced underwater robot, operating them in tandem near the seabed to conduct high-precision tests and operations, and we achieved excellent application results," said Song Laiyong, technical lead of the vessel at the Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey (GMGS).
"We also conducted seabed mineral surveys alongside basic geological and environmental surveys, and found another resource-rich area containing polymetallic nodules. This extends our understanding of deep-sea mineral distribution," he continued.
Song added that the samples and data gathered will provide essential but critical support for further research on deep-sea geology, deep-sea environment and ecosystems.
"Chinese scientists will conduct further analysis on geological samples to study the region's geology, especially its structural evolution. This will provide critical data support for site selection for global ocean drilling research," said Song.
The research vessel is scheduled to set sail again for the Pacific Ocean in the first half of 2026 to conduct more in-depth surveys of fundamental geology and environmental geology.
China releases findings from deep‑sea geological survey
Shanghai has opened up more roads to conduct autonomous driving tests as part of the city's latest efforts to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) across key industries and public services, officials said on Sunday.
With the latest additions, Shanghai now boasts more than 3,170 roads for unmanned driving tests to be conducted, with a total length exceeding 5,200 kilometers, covering about one-third of the city's urban areas, authorities announced at the "Artificial Intelligence + Transportation" Shanghai Release 2025 event held Sunday.
So far, over 900 vehicles developed by 40 companies in Shanghai have obtained licenses to complete road tests, application demonstrations, and autonomous driving operations, with the total combined test mileage exceeding 32 million kilometers and the overall test duration exceeding 1.78 million hours.
Sunday's event also saw the launch of the nation's first service platform for open access and application management of traffic signal data across a megacity. The platform provides real-time data collection from more than 7,600 intersections, helping strengthen research and development which will boost mass production of advanced autonomous driving technologies.
Several major initiatives were also unveiled at the gathering, including the first group of demonstration scenarios innovatively integrating AI with the transportation sector.
Among the pioneering projects is a brand new AI pilot base built by the Shentong Metro Group – the operator of trains on Shanghai's underground system.
This will see the development of China's first multimodal body of data collected across the urban rail transit system, which will independently train vertical large language models and conduct comprehensive and efficient checks for procedures such as signal systems and intelligent security checks before they are officially launched.
"The base will enable test, verification and optimization of systems prior to their formal operation. In the past, our approach was to conduct a review after the initial development was completed and then deploy it for operation. This made it impossible to anticipate problems that would arise," said Wang Shenghua, deputy director of the chief engineer's office under the Shentong Metro Group.
Industry insiders say that these efforts to deepen the application of AI in the transportation sector highlight how this emerging technology is being further integrated across more industries and playing a more prominent role in people's everyday lives.
"Today, [AI] has been specifically integrated with various scenarios, truly and closely connecting with the government's administration, the operation of companies, and the everyday experiences of people in their daily lives," said Zhong Junhao, secretary general of the Shanghai AI Industry Association.
Shanghai promotes AI-powered transportation with more roads opened for autonomous driving tests
