This $1,000 Drone Is Built for the High Seas

Zero Zero Robotics, the makers of the HoverAir line of drones, is suddenly more taken with water than air. The upcoming $1,000 HoverAir Aqua—which is currently crowdfunding on Indiegogo—may be the first drone built for Atlanteans or anybody who spends their free time on open waters. The one major drawback will hinder your total flight times while reminding you of your grade school lessons about why electricity and water don’t mix.

Welcome to the drone life aquatic. Now, I know what you’re probably wondering, and unfortunately no, this drone is not a submersible. Instead, the HoverAir Aqua has the capability to take off from water. It’s light enough to ride the waves and powerful enough to launch off the surf. Even better, the device will automatically flip the right way up if it suddenly capsizes before takeoff. The drone is rated IP67, which means it’s protected against being fully immersed in water for short stints. The buoy-like ring around the drone is supposed to keep it upright and afloat, keeping the sensitive electronics mostly dry.

Because users are likely going to be occupied while trying to capture some aerial footage, the Aqua is meant to act as a kind of “hands-free” drone. This isn’t to say there are no controls at all. Users can set the drone to follow them as they row or efoil out into the water. This “Virtual Tether” is supposed to keep the drone within shooting distance. Its max flight speed is 34 miles per hour, which means people doing the fastest extreme watersports, such as those on a jetski, may need to slow down to let the drone do its thing.

The kit includes a small 1.6-inch AMOLED display, which offers a live preview of the footage it’s taking. The other controls are provided through the “Lighthouse,” an arm-mounted controller to take off, land, or start recording footage. There’s an additional remote recall, though the drone is supposed to follow the user if they grow too distant. Otherwise, the drone includes 16 automated flight patterns, including a “snorkel” mode for catching any stray fish just under the water’s surface. You can also set up some preset orbital shots, akin to other ultra-light drones such as the HoverAir X1 or ultra-cheap DJI Neo.

The camera itself is capable of shooting in 4K resolution up to 100 fps, which should allow for some slow-motion footage. The device is making use of a wide 1/1.28-inch CMOS sensor. HoverAir claimed the lens is hydrophobic, which should help shave off any extra water droplets accrued while the device was rocking in the surf.

The device weighs a mere 249g, or 0.54 pounds, which is under the FAA’s weight requirements for registering unmanned aircraft. That small frame is brought low by a mere 23-minute battery life. It means you’ll need to be conscious of how much surfing you’ll be doing before retrieving your drone and swapping out the battery. Zero Zero founder MQ Wang told reporters that the batteries all have their own waterproof bag. The drone designers crafted the battery compartment to be hydrophobic, plus it includes a water-sensitive sticker that will turn red if the compartment is wet. Still, you still need to be careful when shoving a new live battery into something that was just splashing around like a teenager in the deep end of the pool.

The limited battery life is consistent with all small drones. Still, it makes water-based operations more constrained. The limited use time may require users to go fishing for their devices in case they need to perform an emergency splashdown. As always, we never suggest opting in for a crowdfunding campaign, though HoverAir has a strong track record for following through on at shipping its products. We’ll get to splash around with the drone next month at IFA tech conference in Berlin, Germany.