Polar marine equipment is the main carrier for human participation in polar activities. The suggestions for the division of the polar marine equipment system are provided in the current study. The key directions for future polar marine equipment in China are found based on the historical development of China’s polar marine equipment and the comparative analysis of similar equipment types at home and abroad. Nine technical disciplines for polar ships are proposed and three major technical requirements are listed and elaborated by combining with the engineering research and development of heavy icebreakers. It can provide references for the research and development of relevant equipment technologies in China.

As polar scientific exploration requires broader range, deeper space, and more data collection, unmanned equipment emerges frequently in the polar research expeditions from various countries, helping researchers to have a comprehensive and thorough understanding of the polar environment. Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) have gradually become indispensable equipment for the polar underwater scientific research in the new century due to their advantages of autonomy and versatility. Therefore, it is essential to review the application of scientific research AUVs in polar regions and anticipate their future development. This article begins with a basic introduction to AUVs, followed by analysis of the main purposes and advantages of the AUVs in polar regions based on the summarization of the thirty polar AUV operations in the world. The challenges encountered by the AUVs applied in polar regions are discussed to present the development of the AUVs suitable for the polar scientific research. Additionally, thoughts are also proposed for the design of a new generation of polar research vessels equipped with unmanned equipment such as AUVs.