Drone-stick
An unusual amphibious drone was developed by scientists from the Chinese University of Behai, Imperial College London and the Swiss research Institute Empa: it can fly, then dive into the water, then quickly emerge from under the water and rush back into the sky.
To "take a breath", or rather to save battery power, the drone is able to "stick" to any horizontal surface using a special silicone disk. His idea was suggested to the developers by a stickfish, which, thanks to a special suction cup on its head, clings to larger marine animals and feeds on their scraps. The drone flies like a regular quadcopter, but once under water, it turns into a submarine, after which it can resurface again and continue flying. It takes him no more than 0.35 seconds for these transformations, which is a kind of record. Under the surface of the water, the drone puts its propellers in a special position that allows it to move and perform various operations — in particular, to search for underwater objects using an onboard camera.
Fish-stuck
In case of communication problems in the underwater position, the drone is able to operate in autonomous mode. In extreme cases, it can "jump out" of the water for a short time to send a signal to the operator using 5G or Wi-Fi networks. The suction cup in the upper part of the case is a kind of bonus when working on land. The drone can use it in order not to waste battery power when there is no work. The unique drone will become an indispensable assistant to oceanographers and rescue services and will be able to be used for environmental monitoring and industrial inspections.
