trident underwater drone sets a world of ocean curiosity in motion

trident underwater drone sets a world of ocean curiosity in motion 
all images courtesy of openrov

 

 

 

 

berkeley robotics company, openrov, launched an affordable underwater drone, named ‘trident’. it’s part of an ongoing mission to democratize ocean exploration. the company began in 2012 with co-founders eric stockpile and david lang when they realized that there weren’t any affordable underwater drones on the market for their expedition. the ‘trident’ drone weighs less than three kilograms and is small enough to fit in a backpack. it’s hydrodynamic shape allows it to move both quickly and precisely to a depth of 100 meters. it sends live HD video back to the surface by way of a thin, neutrally buoyant tether, that can be controlled by a laptop, smartphone or tablet at the surface. 

 

video courtesy of openrov

 

the drone’s unique contours make it ideal for projects such as 3D mapping that require it to move along long straight lines for surveying large areas. the openrov team has spent the past three years designing, testing and developing the drone with the end user in mind. the expect the openrov ‘trident’ to arrive in november 2016. 

the design blends versatility and control

linked to the surface by way of a thin, neutrally buoyant tether

the drone has built-in LED lightsthe configuration allows it to move through the water quicklyit can be controlled via a tablet, smartphone or laptopthe camera streams HD video contentthere are three thrusters for precise movement the side panels are molded with a strong, rubber coating