SwellPro's New SD4 Waterproof Drone
A standard drone can’t be dipped in the water but specialist drone maker SwellPro makes a variety of waterproof drones.swellpro Dustin Dunnill tried one out for his YouTube channel and it can fly in the air as well as move through the water. There are a number of different versions available depending on the intended use and a cool feature called Boat Mode that allows it to track you at a set distance or follow a set path.
The SD4’s fuselage brings together SwellPro engineers’ deep understanding of waterproof drone technology, materials and processes to deliver a fully functional multipurpose floating and flying platform.swellpro Its body is simple in design, attractive in appearance, lightweight and strong and facilitates upgrading, repairing or replacing components thanks to integrated mounting points. A hinged, waterproof hatch makes changing the slide-in battery module fast and easy.
With its unique dual-axis underwater gimbal and Gopro mount, the SD4 can capture high-quality videos and photos underwater.swellpro Its camera can be angled up to 90 degrees and it has a wide field of view to capture more of the action. It can also take time-lapse photos and record 4K video at 30fps and a higher frame rate for slow-mo clips.
It can be used for a range of other applications too including surveying, environmental protection, scientific and fisheries management.swellpro It’s compatible with a wide range of SwellPro and third-party accessories like cameras, payload release modules, lighting, sonar and others. These can be mounted on top and below the drone or in between the legs, providing the ultimate multi-modal mission capability.
A new bright white aircraft anti-collision strobe helps other pilots and vessels pinpoint the drone in low-light or darkness while flying over water.swellpro It can be activated or deactivated in flight using the SwellPro app. The SD4 uses advanced wireless digital radios for long range connectivity over water and enables its transmission capabilities to be tailored to each mission by the user through the app.
This is a huge step forward for beach safety and could greatly reduce the number of incidents and ultimately save lives.swellpro It’s the first of its kind in the UK and is a collaboration between Eagle Eye Innovations, RNLI and RLSS.
Drones have revolutionized aerial filming but a waterproof drone can take the experience to a whole new level.swellpro These drones can be flown above, on or in the water to provide a unique view of a location that is difficult to access with traditional vehicles.
A drone can be a valuable tool for a fisherman too, as it can be used to monitor the water quality and depth, as well as drop a line in the ocean.swellpro After a New Zealand fisherman dropped a bait over the surf with a 1st-generation SplashDrone in 2015, drone fishing went viral and now these types of drones are used worldwide for saltwater fishing. SwellPro now has a dedicated fisherman version of its SplashDrone that is optimized for remote fishing line travel and includes a bait release plus a 2-axis underwater gimbal.
