This Drone Can Launch From Underwater, Soar Through the Air

A new drone from researchers at Johns Hopkins Academy is going where many unmanned aerial vehicles cannot: underwater.

The submersible drone, which has a mouthful of a name — the Corrosion Resistant Aeriform Covert Unmanned Nautical System (or CRACUNS) — can "stay on station beneath the water, then launch into the air to perform a diverseness of missions," according to a news release. Developed and tested by researchers within the university's Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Md. with internal funding, the CRACUNS image promises to offer new capabilities not possible with existing unmanned aerial or underwater vehicles.

"The well-nigh innovative feature of CRACUNS is that it tin remain at and launch from a significant depth without needing structural metal parts or machined surfaces," the researchers said. And then, basically this matter tin can operate effectively in the air and underwater.

The team needed to overcome two major challenges to brand this happen: water pressure level and corrosion. Leveraging "advances in condiment manufacturing and novel fabrication techniques," they managed to create a "lightweight, submersible, composite airframe" that tin withstand h2o force per unit area. To combat corrosion, they sealed the nigh sensitive components in a dry pressure vessel and applied commercially available protective coatings to the motors that are exposed to salt water.

Then, they tested the coated motors by submerging them in salt water. Two months later, they showed no signs of corrosion, and they nevertheless worked.

"CRACUNS successfully demonstrated a new way of thinking most the fabrication and apply of unmanned systems," APL's Rich Hooks, an aerospace and mechanical engineer who devised the condiment manufacturing techniques used on CRACUNS, said in a statement.

About Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo is PCMag'southward expert on fitness and smart home products. Teaching yoga for nearly 10 years has helped her in evaluating a range of connected health products including fettle trackers, heart rate monitors, rowers, smart scales, stationary bikes, strength preparation machines, treadmills, and more. Angela also tests smart home devices from her ranch in Florida, including air purifiers, kitchen appliances, and robot vacuums, just to proper name a few.