Boyagongdao Marine Technology Group presented the BG-5 Golden Dragon Fish biomimetic underwater robot at an exhibition in Beijing. Weighing 3 kg with a length of 640 mm, the platform utilizes a flexible, multi-joint tail instead of a conventional propeller to generate propulsion through undulating movements.
Equipped with onboard sensors, the robot navigates without a fixed route, allowing it to autonomously detect and adjust its course around obstacles. An advanced variant, the BG-5V, supports path planning, task allocation, formation control, and multi-robot cooperation, enabling fleets of small underwater systems to communicate and coordinate mission activities, as reported by The Times of India.
While developers have previously worked on national defense projects involving underwater biomimetic detection platforms and collaborated with military units on the ROBO-SHARK robot, publicly listed specifications do not confirm active military deployment for the platform. Nevertheless, the BG-5 fish-like form and autonomous navigation could potentially make it useful for shallow-water reconnaissance and surveillance.
This isn’t a real fish – it’s a robot at the CIFTIS!
This bionic fish robot is based on the arowana’s look and swimming style, powered by fluid simulation tech. It glides as smoothly and gracefully as a real fish, almost impossible to tell apart. pic.twitter.com/HmEVi7puLO— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) September 12, 2026
