Engineers have developed a system that combines multi-rotor drones and underwater drones for infrastructure inspection and search and rescue operations.
The Sea-Air Integrated Drone system uses Prodrone’s multi-rotor drone to transport the underwater drone Fifish. (Photo: Qysea)
Although underwater drones can perform various tasks, transporting the equipment to diving areas can sometimes be challenging. Engineers have created a new system that utilizes aerial drones to transport and deploy underwater drones. Named Sea-Air Integrated Drone, this hybrid design was recently introduced at the Hakkeijima Sea Paradise amusement park in Yokohama, Japan. This project is a collaboration between telecommunications operator KDDI, aerial drone manufacturer Prodrone, and underwater robotics company Qysea.
The new system employs one of Prodrone’s all-weather multi-rotor drones, combined with Qysea’s Fifish Pro V6 Plus underwater drone. The Fifish Pro V6 Plus is also known as a small remotely operated vehicle (ROV). The Fifish will be housed in a quick-release cage attached to the underside of the multi-rotor drone.
The operator onshore uses long-range mobile communication to control the drone system as it flies to its destination on land. The vehicle is navigated using both satellite positioning and real-time data from the camera on the multi-rotor drone. The user then lands the vehicle on the water surface. The Fifish is released from the cage but remains connected to the multi-rotor drone via a long electrical and communication cable. The Fifish will dive under the remote control of the operator. Once the diving mission is completed, the multi-rotor drone’s winch will pull the Fifish back into the cage for the return flight to shore.
Some potential applications of this system include inspection, maintenance, or repair of underwater systems, offshore wind turbines, or underwater structures. Additionally, the hybrid drone can serve scientific research, vessel inspection, or search and rescue missions.
