A drone that can swim, float or fly according to your wishIf you want to capture some underwater photography, or travel far above the ground, Loon Copter is definitely the drone for you
The drone was developed thanks to the combined efforts of the intelligent folks stationed at Oakland University’s Embedded Systems Research Laboratory. As stated above, Loon Copter will not only be able to fly above the ground, but it will also be able to navigate under the water’s surface. Despite the fact that The Loon Copter project has been around for quite some time now, the latest prototype is much more refined, to the extent that it actually became a semifinalist in the 2016 Drones for Good competition. Aesthetically, the Loon Copter looks pretty much like a conventional quadcopter, and the only distinctions that separate the drone is a taller, barrel-like body. The magic behind the machine’s capability to traverse on both air and water is the ability to fill its buoyancy chamber, causing it to safely sink to a few meters beneath the surface. Additionally, the Loon Copter also employs a very clever design that allows it to tilt 90 degrees in the water. In this manner, its propellers will start to act like outboard motors, allowing it to navigate sea. Unfortunately, the drone has not been manufactured for exploring the deepest depths of sea since the extreme pressure will alone cause it to stop malfunctioning, but it is possible that future revisions will definitely bring in more drones that will have the capability to go further deep into the ocean. For now, we will have to commend upon the advancement of the new drone, and with each iteration, hope for better features to come forward.
