world's first sea-air integrated drone redefines offshore and marine operations

world’s first sea-air integrated drone unveiled

japanese telecommunications operator KDDI, commercial drone manufacturer prodrone, and underwater robotics firm QYSEA have collaborated to create the world’s first commercial drone that can both fly in the air and swim underwater. first unveiled during a flight showcase at the hakkeijima sea paradise amusement park in yokohama, japan, the ‘sea-air integrated drone’ intends to modernize offshore and marine operations with its ingenious capabilities, high efficiency, and minimized manpower requirements.

all images courtesy of QYSEA

joint collaboration results in drone technology breakthrough

this revolutionary sea-to-air drone is cooperatively manufactured by KDDI (find more here) and QYSEA technology (find more here), featuring the combination of a heavy-duty aerial drone and QYSEA’s industrial-class FIFISH PRO V6 PLUS ROV underwater solution. this ambitious endeavor was initiated by KDDI, who had sought to combine advanced mobile communication networks with drone technologies that would deliver extended flying distances and lengths.

this partnership between KDDI and QYSEA has resulted in the first commercial drone operating seamlessly through land, sea, and air. through long-range mobile communications, the drone is operated remotely to fly to its preset route at sea. after landing at its designated location, the FIFISH ROV is released and put to work. without the need to leave their onshore working location, the pilot operates the ROV remotely, performing a variety of inspection, maintenance, and repair work underwater. the drone offers real-time visual feedback, a variety of sampling, measurement, and manipulation tools, as well as be the ability to live-stream operations for multi-person collaborations.

revolutionizing the marine-based industries

the ‘sea-air integrated drone’ is expected to have extensive applications across marine-based industries. in offshore wind power, the drone can be deployed to complete inspections and maintenance work on frames and foundations, thus greatly reducing human risk. in the world of aquaculture, the drone is able to fly out to monitor livestock and crops, as well as perform maintenance and repair work with the help of ROV’s multiple add-on tools. other marine-based applications include operations involving search and recovery, hull inspections, and various subsea infrastructures.

with further details of its release coming in early 2022, the ‘sea-air integrated drone’ will undoubtedly lead an essential path towards the development of a sustainable ocean economy and the global goal of carbon neutrality.