A Waterproof Drone That Swims As Easily As It Flies

Researchers at the Chinese University of Hong Kong have developed the Mirs-X, a quadcopter that can swim underwater as easily as it can take to the skies. This waterproof drone can dive up to 3 meters (9.8 feet) deep for approximately 40 minutes, moving underwater at 2 meters (6.6 feet) per second. It can hover for about six minutes in the air without changing propellors.

Mirs-X is a quadcopter that flies like a standard drone but can also swim, using the same four propellers. Researchers at the Chinese University of Hong Kong have designed the prototype to hover for six minutes in air, or around 40 minutes underwater. They plan to develop larger versions of the device which could be used for search and rescue or carrying out engineering inspections where it can observe from high altitudes before descending into the water for a closer look.