First came the camera. Then the underwater camera. And now, there’s the diving drone camera. As tech continues to reach new heights, we’re exploring new depths of the seas thanks to the iBubble, the gadget that wants to be your autonomous underwater camera.
Meant for the diving enthusiast who’d rather see the underwater world through his or her goggles without being burdened by an extra lens, the iBubble team notes that filming beneath the surface of the world’s oceans can be a cumbersome process that “limits your freedom underwater.” But with iBubble, you won’t have to sacrifice your autonomy for a great shot — instead, this “intelligent, user-friendly, and completely autonomous diving drone” allows you to take your GoPro where it’s never gone before, and control it all from your wrist with a compatible bracelet.
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Boasting a host of practical, helpful features, the iBubble’s hydrodynamic design means that it’ll travel well underwater, withstanding currents of up to 3 knots. With a maximum depth of 60 meters, you’ll actually be able to take your GoPro (it’s compatible with the Hero 3 and up) pretty far. Whenever you want to set it free and take shots of its own, the iBubble can stray up to 25 meters away from you.
And with enhanced image filtering, an integrated obstacle-avoidance system based on sonar technology, and a moving-subject tracking switch, the iBubble seems ideal to capture a wide variety of underwater shots and subjects. When it’s out of juice, just recharge and replace its battery pack. But what happens if the iBubble loses power or signal during a dive? Never fear — it’s not lost to the watery depths. Rather, it’ll just resurface, allowing you to retrieve your diving camera at will.
The iBubble will even do some exploring on your behalf, thanks to its remote control option that lets you scout certain areas before taking a dive yourself. Just send it on its merry way and watch all the action from above.
Already, the iBubble has raised nearly $119,000 on Indiegogo, surpassing its initial goal of $75,000. If you’re looking to get in on the action, you can put down a $699 deposit on the iBubble (you’ll still owe another $799 before shipping). And while this may seem like a steep price, iBubble says it’ll be well worth it for explorers and adventurers of the marine world.
