Symbio Explorer Ụgbọ Mmiri Nchọpụta by Guo Qian

Symbio Explorer Ụgbọ Mmiri Nchọpụta by Guo Qian is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Ihe Nrite A' Design Award nke Igwe in Nhazi Ụgbọ Mmiri na Ụgbọ Mmiri Ukwu Competition Category.

IgweỤgbọ Mmiri· 2026

Symbio Explorer Ụgbọ Mmiri Nchọpụta

by Guo Qian

Client: Southern Marine Science And Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai)

Ihe Nrite A' Design Award nke Igwe Winner in Ụgbọ Mmiri Category

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The Design

About Symbio Explorer Ụgbọ Mmiri Nchọpụta

SymBio Explorer bụ ụgbọ mmiri nchọpụta na-arụ ọrụ n'onwe ya nke e mere maka njem nchọpụta sayensị na mpaghara pola. Ụgbọ mmiri a na-arụ ọrụ dị ka ụgbọ nne maka sistemụ drone nke ikuku, elu mmiri na okpuru mmiri, a pụkwara isi ebe dị anya na-achịkwa ya. Ụzọ gbagọrọ agbagọ nke sitere n'okike na-aga n'ihu site n'isi ụgbọ ruo n'azụ ya, na-enye ahụ́ ụgbọ ahụ ọdịdị yiri ihe ndụ na-enweghị nkuku siri ike. E mere ka ngwá ọrụ ndị dị ka igwe mbuli A-frame zoo n'ime ahụ́ ụgbọ ahụ iji mee ka ọdịdị ya dịrị n'otu. Akụkụ ekpe nke ụgbọ ahụ na-akwado mbupụ drone, ebe a na-eji akụkụ aka nri eme nnata. Ụgbọ mmiri ahụ dị mita 88.5 n'ogologo na mita 14 n'obosara, ọ na-ejikwa ike eletrik zuru oke aga ije.

The Recognition

About the Ihe Nrite A' Design Award nke Igwe

Symbio Explorer Ụgbọ Mmiri Nchọpụta meriri A' Design Award nke Igwe, nnabata dị ugwu e nyere design ndị dị mma nke na-emezu ihe ndị a chọrọ n'ọrụ na ụlọ ọrụ nke a na-atụ anya n'ihe e kere eke ndị e mere nke ọma. Ndị meriri na Igwe na-egosi nka buru ibu, ọkachamara dị elu, nghọta ọkachamara na ikike imepụta nke ndị kere ha. A na-atụ anya na Symbio Explorer Ụgbọ Mmiri Nchọpụta ga-abụ ihe e kere eke a na-asọpụrụ nke ukwuu, a na-eto na a hụrụ n'anya nke bụ ihe bara uru ma dị ọhụrụ. Design a meriri A' Design Award nke Igwe na-ejikọta ụzọ kacha mma nke ụlọ ọrụ ma nwee àgwà teknụzụ kwesịrị ekwesị jikọtara na ihe ọmụma na talent. A na-asọpụrụ Symbio Explorer Ụgbọ Mmiri Nchọpụta maka nlezianya ya ma e mere ya ka ọ nye mmeziwanye ndụ nke na-enyere aka ime ka ụwa bụrụ ebe ka mma.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: Conventional research vessels follow engineering logic with industrial forms. This design challenges the fixed opinion by conceiving mothership as an entirely new species, a futuristic artificial-marine organism", a mysterious intelligent entity. It is neither a cold exploration instruments nor a larger whale, but a new aesthetics object, which emphasize a new ethics of species interaction, ecological balance and sustainable coexistence. It can achieve polar scientific expedition. The Design enhance visual ruggedness and embody the spirit of exploration.
Dimensions & Packaging: Designed Displacement 2100 tons; Length 88.5 meters; Width 14.0 meters; Depth 6.1 meters; Maximum speed 18 knots; Economic speed 13 knots; Fully Electric Propulsion ；Autonomous Navigation and Remote Control;
Tags: i-ship , Symbiosis, Biology, artificial-marine organism, Intelligence
Production Technology: The design employs continuous organic curves throughout form and detail. From bow to stern, from bridge to drone deck, the fluidity of these curves achieves formal closure while integrating functional requirements into a unified biomorphic envelope. This approach eliminates fragmented lines and rigid orthogonal geometries typical of modernist industrial design. Through the comprehensive application of form, material, and color, operational equipment such as A-frame hoists are visually absorbed into the hull, reducing their perceptual prominence and reinforcing the continuity of the overall silhouette.
Design Challenge: The overall spatial layout is the key to ship design. Engineers are mainly responsible for organizing functional relationships and improving the efficiency of equipment and pipeline layout and placement. Designers consider the skeletal proportions and overall appearance of the appearance, as well as the humanized content such as the behavior and experience, perception and comfort of scientists and crew members. The challenge of the project lies in the communication, collaboration, debate, and compromise between designers and engineers.
Research: The form research by two steps, named "reverse engineering". Firstly, polyurethane foam and oil sludge are used as materials, and the model is manually made at a scale of 1:100. Then, the solid model is taken as the object, and key point sets are collected by laser, and then imported into the 3D software (Rhino 7.0 version) for parametric design modification.
Inspiration: SymBio Explorer imagines the research vessel as a new species, proposes an "artificial-marine organism" between machine and living creature. The biomorphic silhouette externalizes its identity as an intelligent unmanned system mothership. Merging "Symbiosis" and "Biology," it embodies a new ecological ethics: the ocean is not a resource to exploit, but an entity coexisting with humanity.
Project Duration: The project started in June 2024 in Guangzhou and finished in May 2025 in Beijing.
Operation Flow: The SymBio Explorer is an autonomous, remotely-operable research vessel serving as a coordinated mothership for aerial, surface, and underwater drone systems. Certified with i-ship (No, R1, M, I) intelligent notation, it achieves autonomous navigation in open waters, assisted berthing, remote monitoring, equipment diagnostics, and predictive analysis. The port deck serves as UAV launch platform while starboard accommodates recovery; stern-mounted systems deploy surface craft and submersibles.
Image Credits: Image #1: Modeling and Rendering, Mothership, Zhou Rui, Li Tianyu;
Image #2: Modeling and Rendering, silhouette, Zhou Rui, Li Tianyu;
Image #3: Modeling and Rendering, iceberg, Zhou Rui, Li Tianyu;
Image #4: Modeling and Rendering, 45 degree, Zhou Rui, Li Tianyu;
Image #5: Modeling and Rendering, close up, Zhou Rui, Li Tianyu;