UPDATED 20:39 EDT / MARCH 12 2015

The Splash Drone: Get it wet. It’s ok. You’ll still be able to get it up

Get it wet! It's ok. You'll still be able to get it up. This is the waterproof Splash Drone.
Aerial drones, in the hands of casual hobbyists and more serious drone enthusiasts, have conquered the sky. Quadcopters are available in an assortment of sizes and price points. Urban Drone, a drone design and manufacturing firm based in Florida, wants to create an entirely new category of water ready aerial drones. The Splash Drone will allow drone pilots to explore a brand new frontier: The open water.

The Splash Drone loves water. It’s completely waterproof. What if you’re flying and it starts to drizzle? No problem. What if your kid puts his thumb over the hose nozzle and aims that concentrated blast of water right at it? Tell him to bring it. The Splash Drone can take it. What if you accidentally drop it in the lake? No worries. Splash Drone is going to be fine. You won’t even have to wade into the lake to fish it out. Splash Drone can land and deploy from the water. It’s the first drone with this capability. It has a built-in waterproof camera gimbal, and an integrated video transmitter that can send live video feed directly from the GoPro camera. Alex Rodriguez, CEO of Urban Drones, said he designed the Splash Drone with the help of feedback he’s gotten from drone enthusiasts. They wanted a drone that was easy to use, and he delivered. It can be flown using a remote or with an app on your phone. The autonomous function allows the user to map out a flight path and return the Splash Drone back to the launch location with the flip of a switch. The Splash Drone’s distance, altitude, and battery voltage are always displayed on the remote’s monitor, so the user always knows where the Splash Drone is located.

The first drone capable of landing and deploying on water.

The Splash Drone isn’t just for fun and games. Many of its unique features have captured the attention of marine law enforcement agencies. One of its most useful features is the emergency flare adaptor, which allows the user to deploy an emergency flare for up to 15 minutes. Rodriguez spoke about the role that Splash Drone could have in rescue services, saying “This is how drones are changing things. We think this will revolutionize marine safety.” The Splash Drone comes with a payload release mechanism. Agencies like the Coast Guard could use that feature to quickly respond to potential drowning victims. A float could be attached to the Splash Drone and delivered to a victim, should a rescue patrol not be able to reach the location fast enough. Agencies are also looking at the Splash Drone as a tool for examining the wreckage of accidents that happen on the water.

The Splash Drone still has several weeks to go in its highly successful Kickstarter project. It received funding in excess of $100,000 in a matter of days, allowing the company to schedule its full production to begin in the coming weeks. Urban Drone doesn’t plan on sitting still. It’s planning several additional waterproof drone models. Although it hasn’t been officially announced, Rodriguez discussed a smaller, less expensive Splash Drone that’s in the works. Unlike its big brother, this model will not include a payload mechanism or emergency flare adapter. It’s designed for casual users. There are also plans to create a new model on the other end of the spectrum. The Industrial Splash Drone will be a more capable, beefed up waterproof drone. The original Splash Drone is powered by four motors. This beast of a drone will have 8. It will almost certainly have a greater payload capacity, and come with an even higher resolution camera. With the success that the Splash Drone has already achieved, and these solid models in the pipeline, Urban Drone is well on its way to the goal of becoming a brand that’s synonymous with waterproof drones.


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