Symbio Explorer Ngarava Yetsvakurudzo by Guo Qian

Symbio Explorer Ngarava Yetsvakurudzo by Guo Qian is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Mubairo weSimbi we A' Design Award in Yachi neZvikepe zveGungwa Competition Category.

SimbiYachi· 2026

Symbio Explorer Ngarava Yetsvakurudzo

by Guo Qian

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

Mubairo weSimbi we A' Design Award Winner in Yachi Category

7,252

Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #179705

Visit Site View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Symbio Explorer Ngarava Yetsvakurudzo

SymBio Explorer ingarava yetsvakurudzo inozvifambisa yega yakagadzirirwa nzendo dzesainzi dzekumatunhu ekumigodhi yepasi (polar). Ngarava iyi inoshanda sengarava huru (mothership) yezvimhamha-mudenga, zvepamusoro pemvura nezvemukati memvura (drone systems), uye inogona kushandiswa iri kure. Mitsetse yakakombama inoenderera mberi kubva kumberi kusvika kumashure kwengarava, ichipa muviri wayo chimiro chinotevedzera zvisikwa zvipenyu pasina makona akaoma. Michina yekushandisa yakadai semidziyo yekusimudza yeA-frame yakanyudzwa mukuonekwa kwemuviri wengarava kuti chimiro chayo chirambe chakabatana. Dhekhi rekuruboshwe rinotsigira kusimudzwa kwemadhironi, ukuwo rutivi rwekurudyi ruchishandiswa kudzorera madhironi. Ngarava iyi yakareba mamita 88.5 uye yakafara mamita 14, uye inoshandisa simba remagetsi chete pakufamba kwayo.

The Recognition

About the Mubairo weSimbi we A' Design Award

Mubairo weSimbi we A' Design Award wakahwinwa ne Symbio Explorer Ngarava Yetsvakurudzo, rukudzo runokudzwa runopiwa kumadhizaini akanaka anozadzisa zvinodiwa zvehunyanzvi neyeindasitiri zvinotarisirwa kuzvigadzirwa zvakagadzirwa zvakanaka. Vakunda veSimbi vanoratidza unyanzvi hukuru, hunyanzvi hwakakwirira, kunzwisisa kwevakachenjera uye kugona kwekugadzira kwevagadziri vavo. Symbio Explorer Ngarava Yetsvakurudzo inotarisirwa kuva chigadzirwa chinokudzwa zvakanyanya, chinoremekedzwa uye chinodiwa, chinoshanda uye chine zvitsva. Dhizaini iyi yakahwina Mubairo weSimbi we A' Design Award inosanganisa maitiro akanakisa eindasitiri uye ine hunhu hwetekinoroji hwakakwana hwakabatana neruzivo nehunyanzvi. Nekushanda kwayo zvakanaka, Symbio Explorer Ngarava Yetsvakurudzo inoremekedzwa uye yakagadzirirwa kupa kuvandudzwa kwehupenyu kunobatsira kuita kuti nyika ive nzvimbo iri nani.

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;