CUHK and Tongji University have joined forces to develop a prototype aerial-aquatic hybrid drone capable of operating in air and water, offering great potential for various underwater operations.
Named “TJ-FlyingFish,” this amphibious drone is a collaborative effort between the Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering (MAE) at CUHK and Tongji University’s Shanghai Research Institute for Intelligent Autonomous Systems. It was unveiled in early February this year.
Weighing 1.63 kilograms, the “TJ-FlyingFish,” features a similar body structure to a conventional drone, equipped with a central dome and four supporting arms. When fully charged, it can fly in the air for six minutes and cruise underwater for 40 minutes. Designed for full automation, it operates without manual control during navigation. The four supporting arms rotate at high speed in an upward direction during flight and in a slower downward direction during a water landing, gently submerging the body. Each arm is equipped with a gearbox, allowing operation at different speeds in the water and air environments to facilitate various operations….