Drones are amazing - they offer so many possibilities for filmmakers and creators, and they're also just fun to fly around with!
But have you ever thought about an underwater drone?
Underwater cameras and -drones have been around for a few years now, but when I saw this particular one I just had to share it on Steemit.
Meet Biki: the first bionic underwater drone that swims like a robo-fish!
It may look cute and even a little bit funny, but don't be fooled - Biki has some quite impressive functions and technical specifications.
The "robofish" is equipped with a 4K UltraHD camera for the highest quality underwater footage, and a 150° wide-angle lense.
It can dive as deep as 196 feet (60 meters) and swims continuously for 90-120 minutes on a single charge - although its speed of 1.1mph is relatively slow.
It moves by flapping its bionic fin, just like a real fish!
But don't worry, according to the creators, the footage won't be shaky: the drone has an unprecedented HD movement camera set and anti-shake camera platform which is based on an eccentric pan & tilt head.
The underwater drone can either be controlled with an app, or with a physical controller if you're in the water. It can also swim around autonomously.
There's even an option to pre-program a route which Biki will then follow.
The footage that the drone records is live-streamed to your phone or tablet, and can later be shared on social media.
Biki even has built-in lights to explore particularly dark or deep areas.
It comes with 32GB built-in memory and supports 16-megapixel photography at 30 fps.
The drone also has built-in obstacle avoidance to make sure it doesn't hit any objects or rocks underwater, and in case the GPS signal is lost, it automatically returns to the starting point.
The innovative project was launched on Kickstarter a few weeks ago.
Biki is the first crowdfunding project by Beijing-based start-up Robosea.
The aim is to start shipping the product in August 2017, and the drone is currently on sale for an early bird price of $599 (retail price: $1,024).
Their initial goal was $20,000, which they've surpassed within one day - currently, they're already on $128,000 with 49 more days to go.
What do you think about this underwater drone? Fun gadget or waste of money?
Images: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
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