Hybrid Aerial Underwater Drone – Bachelor Project [video]
9 comments
·December 22, 2025stoev
Any ideas how the signal is transmitted once the drone is underwater? Typical RC transmitters run 2.4 GHz. Some systems use 700 MHz. The former wouldn't penetrate at all, the latter might penetrate to a shallow depth, but I think that what's shown in the video is deep enough that the signal would get attenuated. There doesn't seem to be a tether and the drone doesn't seem to have any computer vision capabilities to fly itself whilst under water. I wonder how they solved this.
wumms
I suppose that pool is the ~max RF range under water? Is prop pitch mandatory for underwater use?
ch4s3
It's interesting how simple this looks, off the shelf parts, and 3D printed components. I'm almost surprised this doesn't already exist after looking at it.
alexpotato
If this what can be done with off the shelf parts and 3D printing, imagine what DARPA and the like have been doing for the past 20 years.
Makes the UFO/UAP stories about "it transitioned from the water to the air and back to the water!!" seem way more plausible.
ch4s3
> imagine what DARPA and the like have been doing for the past 20 years.
People always say this, but anyone I know who's ever worked in one of these companies that contracts for the DoD or DARPA always complains about how behind the market government tech is. Obviously private industry isn't producing competitors to the F35, but for less complicated kit the government doesn't seem to be doing anything super sophisticated. In fact a bunch of people I knew who went to Iraq bought supplemental gear on the private market.
Stevvo
SciFi becomes reality.
bestouff
The manhunt from a drone becomes more of a nightmare.
idiotsecant
Variable pitch! Waterproof! This thing is awesome. Surely there is different tuning when it's in water vs when it's not, right? How do you detect the transition? Motor currents? This is a really neat project!
thatoneengineer
Obligatory: https://xkcd.com/2128/
Or for the more cynical, replace "search and rescue" with "military covert ops".
https://www.energy.aau.dk/aau-drone-can-both-fly-and-dive-un...