The majority of drones are designed for the sky, hence the phrase UAV (read: “unmanned aerial vehicle”) being used as a synonym. However, there are also a growing number of drones created for exploring underwater locations, too. The latest of these is an underwater drone named Titan, which recently splashed down on Kickstarter with the goal of raising funds to go into production.
“Titan can dive up to 150 meters (490 feet), which provides users more space to explore and more choices,” Alan Wang, the chief technical officer for manufacturer Geneinno, told Digital Trends. “Other drones can only take people down to 50m or 100m. Some people will say 100m is enough, but we believe exploring the unknown is human nature and [something a lot of people want to do]. The only reason they haven’t done it yet is because they don’t have the right tools to achieve it.”
As Wang makes clear, Titan’s big selling point is the fact that it can go really, really deep underwater. It can then document this undersea world with the aid of a high-end 4K camera, which is capable of capturing both video and still images. Moving around is accomplished with six thrusters that give Titan a high degree of movement and impressive maneuverability at a speed of up to two meters per second. There are even, handily, a couple of LED spotlight which throw out a combined 3,000 lumens of illumination so that you can see where you’re going.
“Titan [is] more stable than other underwater drones, because we know that stability means everything,” Wang continued. “No matter how good your camera is, without stability, there is no way you can get good pictures, especially underwater.”
As ever, we advise that would-be customers are aware of the risks inherent in crowdfunding campaigns. However, if you’re nonetheless keen to get involved you can head over to the project’s Kickstarter page to pledge your support (and cold, hard cash). Prices commence at $1,199 for an all-in-one kit containing the drone, a 50-meter tether, and everything else you need to get started. Other price options are also available. Shipping is set to take place in September.
