How China’s flying submarine drone could change the way sea battles are fought
- Researchers suggest their cross-medium UAV, which moved between water and air seven times in one test, capitalises on stealth underwater and agility in the air
- Although all eyes are on military applications, the researchers believe there could be civilian uses, such as in beach rescues
Although it is not the first “transmedium” drone the world has seen, the Chinese prototype uses a design with improved underwater mobility.
Water is 800 times more dense than air, and stickier. Similar drones developed in Western countries must rotate their blades at a slow speed while underwater or risk snapping. But the Chinese drone used two kinds of blades with one designed to spin 3,600 times per minute in water to generate a powerful thrust.
A drone can easily lose balance and flip when moving from one medium to the other. During a 90-second test flight, though, the 1.5kg (3.3lb) Chinese drone remained intact after diving into and emerging from the water seven times.
The technology has shown potential in a wide range of applications, according to the researchers, but they said there was room for improvement in its 20-minute flight time and 500-gram (18-ounce) payload capacity.
