Advances in Deep Sea Exploration Technologies: From Sensors to Autonomous Platforms

Dear Colleagues,

Deep-sea exploration is a critical frontier for addressing global challenges, from unlocking deep-sea resources to protecting marine ecosystems, yet over 95% of the ocean remains unexplored due to extreme environmental constraints and technical bottlenecks. Global trends show a booming demand for advanced deep sea exploration technologies, with the underwater robotics market being projected to reach $19.94 billion by 2035, driven by offshore energy operations, deep-sea research, and environmental monitoring. However, challenges such as high-pressure resilience, limited underwater communication, and low exploration efficiency persist—compounded by the high cost of conventional submersibles—creating urgent opportunities for interdisciplinary innovation that bridges academia and industry in the field of deep-sea exploration technologies.

Furthermore, to dramatically reduce the cost of deep-sea submersibles, autonomous platforms based on real fish will be an inevitable trend. This approach requires the application of Brain–Computer Interface (BCI) technology to control fish behavior and the miniaturization of sensors to be implanted into the fish body, both of which present significant technological challenges that call for innovative solutions at the intersection of neuroscience, microelectronics, and marine engineering.

This Special Issue aims to present and disseminate the most recent advances related to deep-sea exploration technologies, spanning from sensors to autonomous platforms—including novel biological-based autonomous systems—and their practical applications. We consider contributions addressing cutting-edge innovations, practical engineering solutions, and scientific discoveries that overcome key bottlenecks, advancing both theoretical understanding and real-world deployment in deep sea environments.

Topics of interest for publication include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Advanced design and optimization of autonomous deep sea platforms (ROVs, AUVs, Robotic Fish) and deep-sea landers, including biological-based autonomous systems.
• Underwater communication, navigation, and high-performance sensing technologies tailored for extreme deep-sea depths, with a focus on miniaturized sensors that are suitable for biological carriers.
• Materials and structural engineering for high-pressure, harsh deep-sea environments, including biocompatible materials for sensor and BCI implantation.
• AI and swarm intelligence applications in autonomous deep sea exploration systems, including control algorithms for biological-based platforms.
• Sensor-based marine environmental monitoring systems for deep-sea habitats, particularly those integrated with live fish carriers.
• The miniaturization, integration, performance optimization, and biocompatibility of deep-sea sensors for implantation in biological carriers.
• Brain–Computer Interface (BCI) technology for controlling fish behavior and its application in deep-sea environmental monitoring and resource exploration.
• Environmental monitoring and resource exploration using advanced deep-sea sensing, autonomous platforms, and biological-based monitoring systems.
• International collaboration and interdisciplinary integration in deep-sea exploration technology research and applications, especially across engineering, neuroscience, and marine biology.

Prof. Dr. Weicheng Cui
Guest Editor

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• deep sea exploration technologies
• autonomous platforms
• real fish
• Brain–Computer Interface (BCI)
• sensor miniaturization
• deep-sea sensors
• marine environmental monitoring
• autonomous deep sea platforms
• biocompatible materials
• interdisciplinary innovation