TJ-FlyingFish

2023: Product Announcement

In early February 2023, a team of specialists from China's Shanghai Intelligent Autonomous Systems Research Institute, Tongji University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong unveiled an unusual drone called the TJ-FlyingFish. This drone is able not only to fly, but also to swim and even dive under water.

TJ-FlyingFish

Outwardly, TJ-FlyingFish resembles a regular quadcopter. It consists of a domed main module, to which four rods with motor-propeller units are connected. In flight mode, the screws are turned up - in this orientation they create a lifting force. When the drone is in the water, the impellers turn 180 degrees and switch to a lower rotation speed. Due to this, the drone can dive and swim. To maneuver in a reservoir, blocks with propellers turn at a certain angle. After surfacing, the device can take off directly from the surface of the water.

The drone weighs 1.63 kg. The battery charge lasts for six minutes of flight or about 40 minutes of movement in the water. TJ-FlyingFish is capable of diving to a depth of 3 m, and the speed of movement reaches 2 m/s. The drone can perform all actions completely offline - without the participation of a human operator.

The developers name several possible applications for TJ-FlyingFish. These are aerial photography, remote sensing and search and rescue operations on land and in the water. For example, an unmanned vehicle can be useful in inspecting offshore wind farms and other water bodies, access to which is difficult. Project participants are continuing to work on the proposed technology, and more details about the drone will be made public in May 2023.^[1]

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