(Yicai Global) July 27 -- An unmanned helicopter completely developed by China has completed its maiden at-sea mission off the eastern coast of Qingdao, Shandong province, making it the first passenger chopper to autonomously take off and land.

The Shenyang Institute of Automation under the Chinese Academy of Sciences built the helicopter, which is 8.7 meters long, 2.5 meters high and code-named Xiangying-200, state-owned news agency Xinhua reported.

It has a payload of 200 kilograms and broad prospects in marine law enforcement, modern agriculture and emergency rescue, the report added.

The institute has been researching and developing unmanned helicopters since 2003, and has developed several choppers which have been used in Antarctic expeditions, the Lushan earthquake rescue and the erection of transmission lines across the Yangtze River.

Editor: James Boynton