These treasure hunters couldn’t locate and explore an underwater cave on their own, so they created their own « low cost » submersible drone, which did the job for them.
David Lang and Erick Stackpole are two American explorers and treasure hunters who realized, in 2012, that the prices of drones on the market were too expensive. Thus, faced with the investment that would have had to be made, they decided to manufacture their own drone themselves, and this with success.
The duo was motivated in this initiative as they followed a lead that seemed to conceal an important treasure, a pile of gold lost at the bottom of an underwater cave in California. The place, very difficult to access, did not allow explorers to dive deep enough to reach their goal. They then had to face an unexpected expense: the purchase of a drone, but they quickly imagined saving money by manufacturing their own.
David and Erick therefore first created a community platform bringing together underwater drone enthusiasts, which helped them to work on the functionalities and design of their projected machine. At the same time, the duo discovered that there was a strong demand in this field, which motivated them to develop a kit making marine exploration possible at low cost, always with the collaboration of enthusiasts.
Thus, it is not only a copy of their drone that they have designed, but more than 3000, that they have marketed through their company, which has become over time a reference for amateurs and professionals of the genre. The duo is once again in the news, since their company OpenRov will soon be marketing a new drone called Trident, which is lighter and more manageable.
The Trident drone, weighing 3.3 kg for a speed of 2 m/s, can be controlled via a smartphone (or tablet), a computer or even a joystick. The device also incorporates a very current technology: virtual reality, allowing a better immersion in the underwater environment. Equipped with an HD camera, its autonomy is 4 hours and its diving capacity is 100 meters.
Available at the beginning of 2017 at a price of 1199 dollars, the Trident drone should further establish the reliability and success of the OpenRov company.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjTh8ChlFss
Sources: Tom’s Guide – Daily Geek Show