The Trident submersible drone at Maker Faire Bay Area. Source: IEEE Electronics360About two years ago, OpenRov launched a Kickstarter campaign to generate funds for an underwater drone that can be used by consumers and professionals alike.
After raising more than $815,000, now the submersible is finally nearing its launch date scheduled to be sometime at the end of summer. OpenRov showed off the Trident underwater drone at this past weekend’s Maker Faire Bay Area where the company took preorders for the drone and showcased a bit of what it could do.
The drone is based on a Raspberry Pi board housed in a hydrodynamic design that helps it track in a straight line across long distances. A tether is connected to the drone that feeds live video via an on-board HD camera and telemetry back to a user’s smartphone. The drone is equipped with embedded light emitting diodes (LEDs) that help illuminate depth areas where light cannot reach or when using the submersible at night.
With a running time of three hours and a depth distance of 100 meters, OpenRov tells Electronics360 that Trident can be used by consumers and novices looking for a different dimension to swimming or underwater photography or can be used by professionals for stylish photography or researchers for exploring the ocean’s depths.
“The drone is meant to be a tool for explorers of all kinds,” said a spokesman for OpenRov. “It could be a great tool for boat owners or fishermen. It could bring a whole new aspect of play and photography for families. It could be used by schools to undertake investigations or experiments.”
While the Kickstarter has long been completed, Trident is available now for preorders starting at $1,399.
