We have seen underwater drones such as Trident, Gladius and Blueye Pioneer crop up on crowd-funding sites over the last year. YouCan’s BlueWater 1 (BW1) has just joined that list. The underwater drone launched today on the crowdfunding platform Indiegogo.
BW1 should allow you to connect with your inner Tom Daley without getting your feet wet.
It comes with a Bluetooth controller and can shoot 1080p/30 fps HD video and 4MP stills. Battery life looks to be around three to four hours and it can descend to a maximum depth of 100m.
The drone’s camera can be remotely operated, allowing the user to scan their surroundings without manoeuvring the drone itself. Two powerful 1.2k lumen lights will allow you to see for several meters.
What makes BlueWater 1 interesting is it relies on a hard-wired electrical tether. This links the drone to a buoy that is towed after it. The user can then control the drone using a smartphone app.
The drone will retail for $1.7k when it launches officially next year.
