Underwater drone. A drone with a GoPro camera that will allow a person to see the underwater world. What underwater drones are already being produced in the civilian sector of the economy
Drones are called unmanned devices controlled remotely - it can be flying, floating or any other robot controlled from a distance. For example, such machines are widely used by civilian and military sappers. Underwater drones are mainly used by scientists and rescuers to study sea depths.
An ordinary person can also acquire a similar "toy" - the most common product, abundantly present on the market, can be called different kind multicopters. As a rule, products are equipped with video cameras or other sensors that help to control the tasks performed.
Drone types
Underwater drones are not as common as air or ground drones, however, at the time of 2015, the technology is being actively developed by private and military companies, since, unlike a weak and living person, the mechanism is able to carry heavier loads, and if it breaks, it will always can be repaired, this industry can be considered very promising. Of course modern models far from perfect, and their cost is fabulously high, however, like any new product that appears on the market. However, already now there are quite effective products that allow you to perform a number of complex tasks.
All remote controlled underwater models Techniques can be divided into 3 broad categories:
- military drones- serve to neutralize sea mines, patrol the territory of the parking of warships, for investigative and rescue purposes in case of flooding of ships and other objects of value to the military
- research- used by scientific expeditions to study the depths of the sea, caves, and other geological underwater formations, it is also used to take soil samples and monitor the underwater biosphere.
- industrial — this species Drones are mainly used to service underwater elements of structures and communications.
Trident civilian underwater drone
On the this moment, OpenROV is actively promoting its version of the underwater drone - it is worth highlighting it as the most advanced product available ordinary people. The device received the proud name "Trident" (Trident). The trident is considered the fastest robot, it develops a speed comparable to the speed of 8 times Olympic champion in swimming, Michael Phelps - yes, these are the characteristics that the developers of the device themselves brought.
Another distinguishing feature of the model is its high maneuverability, which allows you to stop and turn it around in a matter of seconds. Such qualities can be useful in extreme situations, for example, if you need to quickly find a drowned person or dodge a collision. David Lang and Eric Stackpole, who invented the subject of discussion, conducted a successful experiment by connecting a controller from game console PlayStation 4, streaming video to a monitor and VR goggles from Google.
As for the depth of immersion, it exceeds the hundred-meter mark allowed for ordinary person. The creators have already conducted research on several deep-sea areas, in particular, the project was born as a desire of two friends to check the veracity ancient legend, which said that in 1800, in California, a group of Native Americans hid a certain amount of gold on great depth. This event received a response in the media, and was consecrated in USA Today.
Today, there are wireless and wired options. One of the distinguishing features of the project is its open source code. In fact, any engineer can use the blueprints found on the site to build their own Trident, which has made technology development difficult to track, since it is not known how many modifications there are in the world. For the rest, the product is sold here, at a price of $849.
Practical application of underwater drones
The US Army has long used various kinds of unmanned vehicles. As a rule, underwater options are designed to conduct reconnaissance, detect enemy submarines, or work with mines. However, in a civilian environment, devices have a much greater potential for use. Robots are largely capable of facilitating research projects related to the study of hard-to-reach areas of the ocean, small caves that a person simply cannot go into. Dozens of researchers have put into practice the product from OpenROV - the official website of the company even has a section on the work done, with marks of areas on the map.
Another promising industry is education. In an interview, David Lang, founder of OpenROV, said that he was looking forward to the day when any student could look at the contents of the ocean without leaving the classroom. Natural science, biology, history are only a small part of the sciences to which such technologies will contribute.
Repair and maintenance of equipment located under the depths. As a rule, these are cables and transport pipes. Getting to them is quite difficult and expensive. In extreme situations, using a controlled robot is ideal for troubleshooting and damage detection.
Underwater drones in the military industry
In 2014, the US Navy conducted more than 20 tests of unmanned combat submarines. According to the Department of Defense, almost all tests were failed due to the imperfection of products manufactured by Lockheed Martin, one of the largest American contractors. The main task of the drones was to safely detonate mines, however, during the testing process, malfunctions in the remote control system were constantly encountered. At the same time, according to Joe Dougherty, who is a spokesman for Lockheed, at the moment their system can be considered the most advanced in the world, in addition, he noted that when testing drones, representatives of the Navy exceeded allowable restrictions for the device.
The US government was going to allocate $ 864 million for the purchase of underwater unmanned combat vehicles, but a string of setbacks since 2010 calls into question the continued funding of the program and the existence of drones in the form in which they are now.
Industrial underwater robots
The laying of fiber optic networks on the ocean floor, through which 90% of the Internet traffic in the world passes, is carried out using special mechanisms. Essentially, this autonomous robots that perform their predetermined tasks. In part, they are controlled by operators from ships, however, most of work is done according to the program, nested in advance. Such devices cannot be called full-fledged drones, since in fact they are just a machine, like those that assemble cars or TVs in factories. Looking from a different angle, they can be safely called the fathers of modern underwater drones, a kind of founders of the movement, inspirers.
Such machines are equipped with 6 degrees of freedom and end with either grips or a nozzle for a specific operation, such as a welding electrode or cutting shears. Perhaps the most famous and successfully used robot is robot sawfish(drank fish). The task of the robot is to cut down trees that were once flooded. He cuts them with a chain saw (its length is 1.5 meters). Before cutting, the robot screws an air balloon into the tree trunk at a distance of 15 cm from the cut, which brings the tree to the surface. controlled apparatus operator through the cable from the surface of the reservoir, through the cable (200 meters long) power is supplied to all systems.
Problems and disadvantages of underwater drones
According to Professor George A. Bekey, who specializes in computer science, electrical engineering and biomedical engineering, unlike ground and air drones, their underwater counterparts have huge problems in providing stable communications. This is due to the presence of water around the device, which greatly distorts the signal. In addition, at the time of 2012, the US Navy did not have an acceptable power source capable of operating efficiently for a long time. Precisely in 2012, Navy emphasizes the development of technology capable of performing more than one task at a time, but as already mentioned above, projects still face the same navigational problems.
conclusions
Looking at modern advances in robotics, it becomes clear that underwater drones are far from their ground and air counterparts. At the same time, it is safe to say that at the current rate of technological development, humanity is waiting for many achievements in this area. There are always many difficulties on the way to excellence and efficiency, but looking back at history, it becomes clear that there are no insurmountable obstacles, and there are always people who can break stereotypes and take the right step towards success.
What will be the capabilities of unmanned vehicles in 10 years? Ways to use drones to repair equipment and extract valuable resources are already being actively developed, and although we can’t do without a person yet, our descendants may not have to take risks. own life working in hazardous conditions.
Back in 2015, the supervision of underwater unmanned systems was assigned to the Assistant Deputy Minister naval forces USA. In October 2016, the US Navy participated in the international exercise Unmanned Warrior off the coast of Scotland. During the maneuvers, autonomous submarines worked in cooperation with drones in the air, exchanging intelligence, and then broadcasting it to formations. ground forces, tells The Washington post.
“The US Department of Naval Research (ONR), which develops advanced technologies in the field of unmanned underwater vehicles, plans to deploy the “Eisenhower backbone network” on seabed in all areas of the oceans, ”said the head of this department, Rear Admiral Matthias Winter, at a conference organized by.
According to the admiral, the ultimate goal should "be a large-scale deployment of unmanned underwater vehicles."
“We want such vehicles to go to sea on a mission once and then operate in the depths of the seas for decades,” added Matthias Winter.
While this large-scale project "Eisenhower's network" is at the stage of the discussed concept. The US Navy proposes to create a system of underwater stations at the bottom of the seas and oceans in a historically foreseeable period Maintenance. There is already an official name for it: a forward-based system for reloading, communications and maintenance of underwater unmanned vehicles.
“These will be points where it will be possible to obtain fuel for unmanned underwater vehicles or charge vehicles, receive or transfer necessary information, as well as store data, ”Frank Herr, head of the Naval Research Department, told reporters.
Already, the Pentagon is testing submersibles that can operate for many weeks or even months in one trip to the sea.
In his opinion,
while Russia and China are investing heavily in large-scale construction submarines most different classes The Pentagon is aiming to take the lead in unmanned underwater technology.
“The Pentagon recognizes that the United States, due to its geostrategic position, is simply vital to conduct submarine warfare and carry out anti-submarine defense much better than any other country in the world does, ”stated in an interview with The Washington Post Researcher Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments Brian Clark.
According to Clark, the ultimate goal is for the US Navy to have unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) deployable from conventional (inhabited) submarines, and eventually from large autonomous submarines. Clark compared this deployment of underwater drones to a situation where jet fighters take off from aircraft carriers.
China and other countries have deployed sonar anti-submarine systems on the seabed to detect and identify submarines.
However, such systems, according to Clarke, are capable of detecting large manned submarines, but they are ineffective against relatively small unmanned underwater vehicles.
“The trend towards robotization of all types of armed forces and branches of service will only grow, and with acceleration. The withdrawal of a person from the battlefield is a fundamental trend, and every effort must be made to ensure that the Russian army does not miss this revolution,” states Makienko.
What domestic developments are there in the military and civil spheres of this class of drones? What is the practical use and commercial benefit of these devices? What enterprises are developing these complexes? You will learn all the information by reading the article from the specialists of the company “ARMAIR UAV CENTER. ”
What underwater drones are already being produced in the civilian sector of the economy?
All underwater unmanned aerial vehicles can be divided into light, medium and heavy. The apparatus of the “Trident” type can be attributed to the light classes. This drone is powered by shallow depths, communication with the control panel is by wire, it can be under water for no more than 25 minutes. It has one camera, is able to move forward, backward, in an arc. The middle class of underwater drones includes a device of the DEEPFAR type, developed by the Chinese company Deepfar Ocean Technology Co., Ltd. The device can dive to a depth of 100 meters, work autonomously for 2-3 hours. Equipped with 3D camera, sonars and GPS navigation. Connecting the machine to a wired type control station. Heavy vehicles for the civilian sector are still in development, but the military is already mastering this direction with might and main.What are the developments of underwater UAVs in the military sphere?
Advanced developments are being carried out in the USA, by the DARPA agency, Lockheed Martin Corporation. The following types of autonomous underwater vehicles are being developed:- To hunt enemy ships.
- To detect and neutralize naval mines.
- For reconnaissance and guidance of missiles, ships, aircraft at underwater, surface targets.
Today, drones that take to the air and conduct aerial photography have already become familiar, but until recently, such remote-controlled devices practically did not look under water. But with the advent of a new gadget, the situation will change - now you can see what is happening in the underwater world.
A group of American inventors presented a project for a budget drone for underwater video filming. The result of two years of work was called Seawolf. From most of its predecessors, the device is characterized by low price, ease of maintenance and management. The undoubted advantage of the gadget is the ability to use it with a GoPro action camera.
The GoPro camera is installed behind a transparent acrylic shield in the nose of the underwater drone. The mounting turret allows you to rotate the camera up to 90 degrees. The drone itself can dive to a depth of 10 meters. The actual immersion is 30 meters, however, in this case, communication with the device may be lost.
Under water, the drone moves at a speed of about 1.6 knots, which is comparable to a speed of 3.3 km/h. The device is powered by a 5000 mAh lithium-ion battery, which provides up to 50 minutes of battery life. The robot is equipped with several lights to illuminate the underwater space.
The underwater drone is controlled by a remote control with an LCD display. It is also possible to connect the underwater device to a cable that will follow it underwater. This allows you to significantly extend its service life, as well as increase the level of security in case of loss of control or communication. The cost of Seawolf is 1000 USD.
AT recent times I use unmanned drones more and more often and in various fields. You can find out how in one of our previous reviews.
"Simply fantastic", "there is nothing like it in the world." Thus, in his annual Address to the Federal Assembly, Vladimir Putin described latest developments Russian military-industrial complex. BUT domestic gunsmiths the head of state called them "heroes of our time".
Satan's older brother
To begin with, the president gave some statistics. Yes, armament Russian Strategic Missile Forces received 80 new intercontinental ballistic missiles, 102 ICBMs for submarines, and with them 3 strategic submarines of the Borey project. Plus a number of high-precision cruise missiles increased by more than 30 times, and the number of carriers for these weapons - by 12 times.
As for the development of new missiles for the domestic "nuclear shield", the promising ICBM "Sarmat" is on the way. It is capable of hitting a target anywhere in the world. Moreover, if now Russian ballistic missiles fly only through the Northern Arctic Ocean, then "Sarmat" can reach the target from an unexpected direction: from South Pole. In addition, the rocket is equipped with the most modern complex missile defense breakthrough.
They won't be chased
Sensational statement of the president: in the arsenal Russian army already have hypersonic weapons. Prospective tests aviation complex"Dagger", which flies 10 times faster than sound, is complete. Since December 1 last year, the rocket has been undergoing experimental combat operation in the troops of the Southern Military District.
Watch the video
"Dagger" is capable of hitting a target at a distance of more than 2 thousand kilometers of conventional or nuclear warhead. Moreover, he is not afraid of air defense and missile defense systems, since their missiles simply cannot keep up with hypersonic weapons.
And even more so, no missile defense system will catch up with a planning winged warhead. It is twice as fast as the Dagger and has a speed of up to Mach 20. In the dense layers of the atmosphere aircraft warms up to 2 thousand degrees Celsius. However, the latest composite materials developed by domestic specialists do not allow it to collapse.
Rocket stayer
Another one Russian rocket, which Vladimir Putin spoke about, cannot boast of fantastic speed. Her forte is "long-distance running." More precisely, unlimited, since instead of the traditional chemical engine, it is equipped with a nuclear power plant. Successful tests stayer rockets passed in 2017.
Watch the video
The emergence of such technology allows you to create a completely new strategic weapon. It will be able to stay in the air indefinitely, fly along an unpredictable trajectory to anywhere in the world and strike from the most unexpected direction. If an enemy missile defense system gets in the way of a missile, it will simply fly around it. Enough fuel.
Intercontinental strategic robots
Faster, deeper, farther - these are the main distinctive features promising unmanned submarines. The President said that underwater drones are capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads. Therefore, they can be used to destroy any targets: from entire aircraft carrier strike groups to ports and coastal bases.
Watch the video
In 2017, tests of a compact nuclear reactor were completed, which will supply energy to promising drones. It turned out to be 100 times smaller than power plants conventional submarines, and gains maximum power 200 times faster.
death rays
Watch the video
And, finally, a completely expected event - the Russian armed forces are receiving combat lasers, Vladimir Putin announced. Deliveries began in 2017. The head of state did not disclose other details about the beam guns. He only specified that the appearance laser weapons in the army will significantly expand Russia's capabilities while ensuring its own security.