HOVERAir AQUA is a waterproof drone that shoots in 4K and costs $999
There's a thing on the gadget market that's sure to catch the attention of extreme sports enthusiasts and bloggers. Zero Zero Robotics has revealed the HOVERAir AQUA - the world's first self-driving camera drone that is not afraid of water. Unlike conventional quadcopters, this baby doesn't turn into a brick when falling into a lake - it floats and keeps filming.
Here's What We Know
Essentially, the AQUA is a pocket cameraphone for those who can't sit still on land. The drone takes off and lands directly on the water, follows the owner and produces a 4K picture at 100fps. There's also a 12 MP photo, 1/1.28" CMOS sensor, HDR, and the lens has been given an anti-fog coating.
With a weight of just 249 grams, there's no need to register it. Run time is limited to 23 minutes, tracking speed is up to 55 km/h and wind resistance is claimed to be up to 33 knots. It is controlled via a Lighthouse wristband: takeoff, landing, mode change and "go back please".
HOVERAir AQUA characteristics in figures
- Waterproof: IP67, fully water resistant
- Buoyancy: neutral (take off / landing on water)
- Camera: 4K/100fps, 1/1.28" sensor, HDR, 12 MP photo, 2x zoom
- Lens: heated hydrophobic lens (anti-fogging)
- Stabilisation: SmoothCapture 3.0
- Memory: up to 128GB
- Flight time: 23 minutes
- Maximum speed: 55 km/h (34 miles per hour)
- Wind resistance: Level 7 (up to 33 knots)
- Weight: less than 249g (FAA certification not required)
- Controls: Lighthouse wristband + more than 15 flight modes
Cons and nuances
It sounds beautiful, but there are a couple of "buts". Firstly, the price: $ 999 - not something that everyone is willing to pay for a toy that shoots a maximum of half an hour. Secondly, it's not clear yet how the drone will behave in real conditions - from the noise of waves to salt water, which killed much more reliable equipment.
The HOVERAir AQUA debuts on Indiegogo and promises to appear at IFA 2025 in Berlin from 3-9 September. The manufacturer says it's a "new level of freedom," but so far it looks like only those with an extra $1K in their wallet will get the freedom.
Source: HOVERAir
