Symbio Explorer Ọkọ̀ Ojú Omi Ìwádìí by Guo Qian

Symbio Explorer Ọkọ̀ Ojú Omi Ìwádìí by Guo Qian is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Irin A' Design Award in Àpẹẹrẹ Ọkọ̀ Ojú Omi Ńlá Competition Category.

IrinỌkọ̀ Ojú Omi· 2026

Symbio Explorer Ọkọ̀ Ojú Omi Ìwádìí

by Guo Qian

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

Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Irin A' Design Award Winner in Ọkọ̀ Ojú Omi Category

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The Design

About Symbio Explorer Ọkọ̀ Ojú Omi Ìwádìí

SymBio Explorer jẹ́ ọkọ̀ ojú omi ìwádìí adáṣiṣẹ́ tí a ṣe àgbékalẹ̀ fún àwọn ìrìn àjò ìmọ̀ sáyẹ́ǹsì ní àwọn agbègbè yìnyín. Ọkọ̀ náà ń ṣiṣẹ́ gẹ́gẹ́ bí ọkọ̀ ìyá fún àwọn ètò drone ti ojú òfúrufú, ojú omi àti abẹ́ omi, a sì lè darí rẹ̀ láti ọ̀nà jíjìn. Àwọn ìtẹ̀ríba alára-àdánidá tí ń tẹ̀síwájú láìdúró ń sáré láti iwájú ọkọ̀ dé ẹ̀yìn rẹ̀, èyí tí ó fún ara ọkọ̀ náà ní ìrísí bí ohun alààyè láìsí igun líle kankan. Àwọn ohun èlò iṣẹ́ bíi ẹ̀rọ ìgbésókè oníhà-A ni a fi pamọ́ sínú ara ọkọ̀ ní ojú ìwòye kí àwòrán ìta rẹ̀ lè wà ní ìṣọ̀kan. Apá òsì ọkọ̀ ni ó ń gbé ìfilọ́lẹ̀ drone lárugẹ, nígbà tí a ń lo apá ọ̀tún fún ìgbàpadà wọn. Ọkọ̀ náà gùn ní mítà 88.5, ó sì fẹ̀ ní mítà 14, ó sì ń lo agbára ìtukọ̀ alátagbà tí ó jẹ́ ti iná mànàmáná pátápátá.

The Recognition

About the Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Irin A' Design Award

Symbio Explorer Ọkọ̀ Ojú Omi Ìwádìí jẹ́ olùborí Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Irin A' Design Award, ìdánimọ̀ olókìkí tí a fún àwọn àwòṣe tó dára tí wọ́n pàdé àwọn ohun tí iṣẹ́ àti ilé-iṣẹ́ nílò tí a retí láti ọ̀dọ̀ àwọn ẹ̀dá tí a ṣàwòṣe dáradára. Àwọn olùborí Irin ń fi ìjáfáfá ńlá, ìmọ̀ pàtó gíga, òye ògbóǹtarìgì àti agbára ìṣẹ̀dá àwọn olùṣẹ̀dá wọn hàn. A retí pé Symbio Explorer Ọkọ̀ Ojú Omi Ìwádìí yóò jẹ́ ẹ̀dá tí a kà sí gidigidi, tí a gbóríyìn fún tí a sì nífẹ̀ẹ́, tó wúlò tó sì ní ìmúṣẹ̀dá tuntun. Àwòṣe tó borí Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Irin A' Design Award yìí ń kó àwọn ọ̀nà tó dára jùlọ ilé-iṣẹ́ jọ, ó sì ní àwọn ànímọ́ ìmọ̀-ẹ̀rọ tó péye tí a so mọ́ ìmọ̀ ṣíṣe àti ẹ̀bùn. A bọ̀wọ̀ fún Symbio Explorer Ọkọ̀ Ojú Omi Ìwádìí nítorí ìfọ̀kànbalẹ̀ rẹ̀, a sì ṣàwòṣe rẹ̀ láti pèsè ìmúdára ìgbésí ayé tó ń ran ayé lọ́wọ́ láti di ibi tó dára jù.

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;