The soft robot is tested in the sea. (CHINA DAILY)

China: Breakthrough Enhances Deep-Sea Research! (6.9.2025)

Their latest research, titled “Plasticized electrohydraulic robot autopilots in the deep sea”, was published in the journal Science Robotics. Conducted in collaboration with Zhejiang University and the China Ship Scientific Research Centre, the research team has developed an electrohydraulic-driven soft robot which has been applied to deep-sea exploration.

As the largest unexplored frontier on the earth, the deep sea holds the key to understanding life origins, resource exploration and climate evolution.

However, scientists face significant challenges due to extreme conditions such as high pressure and low temperatures during their exploration. There is also another obstacle: balancing the high costs of exploration and equipment reliability with the protection of fragile deep-sea ecosystems, according to the research team.

Yunnan: China Protects Asian Elephants! (13.9.2022)

The Management Bureau of the Reserve said that monitoring data showed that the baby elephants born during the northward journey are growing up and finding independence. In January, another baby elephant was born at the Reserve. Since then, the herd of elephants have moved deep into the forests in Mengyang and are rarely seen.

Chen Fei, Director of the Asian Elephant Research Centre under the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, said that the efforts made by the Chinese government and local residents have served as a vivid example of China’s determination to promote harmony between man and nature, providing a warm-hearted example for global wildlife conservation.

“Helping the herd go home does not signal the end of our efforts. There is still a long way to go to protect Asian elephants and their habitats,” said Chen, adding that Asian elephants have been included in the list of 48 critically endangered species under emergency protection during China’s 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025).