World’s First Wireless Compact Underwater Drone Providing Live HD Video Feedback

Hydromea unveiled the prototype of world’s first wireless underwater drone in a pool demo today.

The drone can fit into a backpack, can be remotely controlled, and sends HD video back in real time without any physical connection to the pilot. The drone will deliver significant benefits in a number of inspection scenarios in confined flooded spaces, such as hydropower dams, closed waterways and ballast tanks on ships, reducing the cost and time-to-results, eliminating safety risks of dangerous inspections performed by humans today.

“Up to now, portable underwater vehicles always relied on a cable for communication. Our underwater drone works without a cable and sends full HD video stream back in real time. This eliminates any risks of getting stuck in complex flooded spaces, usually associated with cabled vehicles,” says Igor Martin, co-founder and CEO of Hydromea.

“Since radio signals do not travel under water, Hydromea had to develop a new technology to control the drone: a wireless optical system which uses light to transmit high-bandwidth data. With our unique technology that is robust and miniaturized, we can finally cut the cord and unleash the freedom of portable robotics underwater,” says Felix Schill, co-founder and CTO of Hydromea.

Founded in 2014, Hydromea is a Swiss-based autonomous underwater robotics company delivering solutions that allow customers to have unparalleled access to subsea data and underwater assets.  Ultra-fast and high-volume, real-time data transfer and harvesting bring a paradigm shift in our quest to explore the ocean and understand its impact on the subsea economy.