Drilling is the most direct engineering technology means for the exploration and development of energy and mineral resources. As a powerful tool for breaking rock and soil， downhole power drilling tool have the advantages of reducing consumption and increasing drilling speed， as well as reducing the risk of downhole accidents， it either directly drives the bit to form sliding drilling， or combines the top drive （or rotary） to form composite drilling. In order to prompt more technical personnels to understand the downhole power drilling tool， and develop new functions and new instruments based on its drilling advantages and technical characteristics， this paper introduces the use， main type， working principle and development history of the downhole power drilling tool from the perspective of popular science， and compares the advantages and disadvantages of different downhole power drilling tool. Finally， combined with the new requirements posed by the new drilling situation of deep wells， ultra-deep wells on the drilling tool， techniques and so on， as well as the application trend of other new technologies in drilling engineering such as materials， measurement and control， intelligence， etc.， it pointed out the upgrading and technological innovation development direction for the current mainstream downhole power motor.