A drone that can dive into water, emerge and continue flying
Imperial College London has developed an AquaMAV drone capable of diving underwater. This is a real amphibious drone!
AquaMAV folds its wings when submerged in water to dive as smoothly as possible. At the same time, it becomes similar to a flying fish, the shape of which served as an inspiration for the college engineers. The body and wings of the drone are covered with a water-repellent coating, which allows it not to be afraid of water.
Here are some facts about this unusual drone:
The weight of the prototype is 200 grams. A small battery allows a compact drone to fly for about 15 minutes at speeds up to 10 meters per second.
The case is made of an alloy of Kevlar and carbon fiber.
AquaMAV can fly 5 kilometers on a single charge, taking samples along the way, and then return back to the station from which it was launched.
Collecting water data with flying robots will enable rapid response to natural disasters and reduce the cost of water monitoring.
