Cavway X1: just months after production begins, 2,000 kilometers and zero error — the new frontier of cave surveying instruments

During a recent expedition in the Fangshan cave system near Beijing, Siwei Tian tested the long-term accuracy of the Cavway X1, which had been calibrated two months earlier in Shuanghe. The result? A loop closure error of just 0.1% over 470 meters of survey

Cavway X1 is now a reality

Production has officially begun, and as of December 29, 2025, the first units have already been shipped out for several months to cavers who pre-ordered the device.

The result of over two years of development by Siwei Tian, the Cavway X1 marks a significant leap forward in underground surveying instrumentation.

On December 23, during an expedition in the Fangshan karst area, southwest of Beijing, Siwei conducted a field test that confirmed the remarkable stability and precision of the instrument. In a cave with 47 survey legs and 48 stations (totalling 470.2 meters of passage), the Cavway X1 recorded the data with a loop closure error of just 0.1% and an angular deviation of only 0.16°, with no recalibration required.

The device had been calibrated two months earlier, during the international expedition to Shuanghe Cave (Guizhou), more than 2,000 kilometers away.

Since then, it had been transported, carefully stored alongside other electronic devices, and even taken to Thailand — without being recalibrated once. A backsight accuracy check confirmed that both azimuth and inclination were still fully reliable. Moreover, a loop inside the cave made it possible to independently verify the consistency of the data, which was fully in line with expectations.

“The results of this experiment went far beyond our expectations.
We invite all users who have already received the Cavway X1 to run similar tests and share their data.
I’m continuously working on improving it” – from Facebook page of Siwei

On the official website cavedevice.com, the updated English user manual (last revised on October 15) is available, along with ongoing translations into multiple languages. Siwei openly welcomes volunteer contributions for translation and localization of the manuals.

The outcomes of using the Cavway X1 were also clearly illustrated in October 2025, during the presentation of the objectives of the 24th International Scientific Expedition of ShuangheDong. Today, the Cavway X1 stands out as one of the most promising tools for the future of digital cave surveying: compact, precise, long-term stable, and increasingly accessible.

A true successor to the DistoX.