Drone technology continues to get more and more advanced as time progresses. Now, researchers from John Hopkins University have created one that can lay dormant under water and then launch to the surface to begin flying through the air.
It’s called the Corrosion Resistant Aerial Covert Unmanned Nautical System — or CRACUNS and it’s a very light-weight 3D-printed UAV that can launch itself from a stationary position under water and then switch to air flying mode to get to its destination.
“Engineers at APL have long worked on both Navy submarine systems and autonomous UAVs,” said Jason Stipes of APL’s Sea Control Mission Area, project manager for CRACUNS. “In response to evolving sponsor challenges, we were inspired to develop a vehicle that could operate both underwater and in the air.”
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are of high interest to the United States military, because they can be used to keep actual people from getting harmed in surveillance and other missions. On the other hand, UAVs are also becoming highly popular for civilians for commercial use, and even scientists are finding ways to use them.
The new breed of unmanned aerial vehicles that can launch themselves from under water to the surface and then fly off are going to change the way we think of drones. After all, they’re already considered one of the more inconspicuous ways to spy or survey locations. Now, being able to hide underwater, they’ll be even more undetectable until just the right moment.
CRACUNS is corrosion-resistant, which makes it resistant against salt water and the harsh environment of the ocean. What’s more is CRACUNS is resistant to extreme pressures that occur at the depths of bodies of water, so this craft could be placed in strategic locations.
Watch how it works here:
This prototype has a lot of potential to change the way we use drones, both for commercial and top secret uses. This is why science and technology are awesome.
Source: John Hopkins University
