For most consumers, the drones/quadcopters are usually
utilized for aerial videography and photography. This task actually can already
be done by the recent drones today; even it's getting better due to the
autopilot feature that slowly becomes standard specification for modern drones.
For some others, the drones have unique benefits. For
Amazon, drones are the future of their courier services. In some countries,
drones are used by SAR (Search and Rescue) teams in carrying out their noble
missions.
But this drone is different; AguaDrone is designed to
accompany you fishing. Yes, you read that right; this drone has a primary
function to look for fish in the water.
There’s nothing too special about the physical design. The
developer utilizes a combination of two plastic materials as the main framework,
i.e. polycarbonate and ABS. In the four corners there are arms that each of
them is equipped with propeller. Water resistance is one of the mandatory
features carried by AguaDrone, considering it's designed to accompany the
fishing enthusiasts or fishermen.
AguaDrone excellence is located at the bottom of the drone,
where there is a mount for mounting one of three separate modules which they
call as interchangeable pod. Each pod has a different function, depending on
your needs.
The first pod is Fish Scout Pod, or simply calls Fish
Finder. Fish Scout Pod utilizes sonar technology that's commonly used by
submarine to detect the presence of other vessels. But here the sonar is used
to monitor the fish in the water, both freshwater and saltwater.
Armed by Fish Scout Pod, AguaDrone can detect the presence
of fish to a depth of about 36 meters. Furthermore, the data in an easily
understood visual form will be sent to the companion app on a smartphone or
tablet via Wi-Fi signal, with a maximum range of nearly 100 meters.
Interestingly, Fish Scout Pod doesn't take power from the
AguaDrone. It's equipped with its own battery which is claimed to be able to
last up to 4 hours on a single charge. Charging the battery itself can be done
via a USB connection. The power saving feature is also presented where this pod
will be automatically activated when it's submerged in water and vice versa.
The second pod is named Line Flier Pod. With this pod,
AguaDrone can be used to put bait in the unreachable areas (beyond the range of
your throw). While the third pod is actually a mount for GoPro camera, which
means you can use AguaDrone for videography and photography just like the
drones in general.
AguaDrone hasn't started the production stage; it's still
undergoing a fundraising campaign on Kickstarter. If you are interested, you
can become a backer by selecting a pledge worth of $ 999 which is a complete
bundle of AguaDrone.