Russia Builds Digital Twin of Underwater Robot for Operator Training

A new digital twin of the Prometey-4 underwater vehicle is helping Russian engineers simulate complex underwater missions without risking real equipment.

Russian engineers have created a high-fidelity digital twin of the Prometey-4 underwater vehicle, allowing operators to simulate real-world missions in challenging conditions—including strong underwater currents—without putting the actual robot at risk. Developed by Astrakhan State University named after V. N. Tatishchev, the simulation is based on test data and mimics the Prometey-4’s behavior with impressive accuracy.

The system is designed to train operators and prepare them for complex scenarios that may arise during underwater exploration, environmental monitoring, offshore energy operations, and underwater infrastructure maintenance. It is especially valuable for missions in the harsh Arctic environment, where the margin for error is razor thin.

Digital twins like this one are increasingly used across Russian industry for training and simulation. For example, the BOKZ-MA star tracker simulator is helping spacecraft engineers refine control systems for upcoming satellites. Meanwhile, work continues on a digital twin of a radiochemical processing facility, which will soon help engineers simulate every step of spent nuclear fuel reprocessing with greater precision.