Last Updated on January 13, 2019
One of the firsts in the field of drone flying is about to be experienced by drone enthusiasts come June 2017. This is the awaited launch of the Gladius Ultra HD 4K Drone. Seeing these unmanned aerial systems in skies and over land and seas is not surprising but exploring marine life and observing underwater up to 100 meters with a submersible drone is a breakthrough.
This smart ROV underwater drone boasts of many features that make it interesting and capable of shooting videos and images for underwater exploration. Being crowd-funded under an indiegogo campaign, this device comes with ultra HD 1080p camera with an upgraded package with 4K camera.
Gladius Features
Design and Build
Having a cool yellow color, this drone has durable aluminum alloy body that does not corrode and is waterproof. It is lightweight at only 6.6 lbs and with dimensions of 16.9″x10.2″x3.7″. Its interior is sealed to ensure no water can seep in. Moreover, it can fit a backpack of a Gladius hardshell case for portability.
Quad Thruster Design
Gladius offers smooth and easy submersible piloting with is four thrusters strategically incorporated within the architecture for a more accurate and responsive navigation underwater. These powerful thrusters are capable of navigating underwater at 6.6 feet per second or at a speed of four knots.
Dimming Controls
This underwater drone comes with LED lights that are adjustable and with a 135-degree illumination angle. Each light has 1200 lumens and the dimming controls offer different visibility conditions.
Supported for Neutral Buoyancy
The Gladius drone is designed to have neutral buoyancy in the water so it will not sink or float. This is possible via software support from a PID software algorithm that offers stability while shooting images and videos.
Navigation and Control
This drone comes with an easy-to-operate remote controller and can also be operated via a smartphone app. The drone can be navigated via the two joysticks. One is for directing the drone forward, back and for turning it while the other is for the direction or angle where the camera faces. Live stream viewing from underwater is also possible with the use of a smartphone.
Camera
For shooting high quality videos and images, Gladius has an onboard 1080p camera with HD live streaming capabilities as well as 4K camera for the advanced model. Equipped with a unique stabilizing mechanism, this UAS also has low light sensors and an image quality optimization algorithm capable of shooting 4K footage and 16-megapixel images.
Storage
The standard drone comes with a 16GB MicroSD storage card while the advanced model has a 32GB microSD card.
Tether Connection
With the semi-tether connection system of the Gladius, communication of the drone with the towable buoy using direct wiring is possible. With WiFi connectivity, the floating buoy connects to the smartphone remote control. This is helpful for locating the device in case the battery dies during exploration.
Battery
Users can enjoy three hours of run time and continuous use with lithium-ion polymer smart batteries that only need ome-and-a-half hour of fast charging time.
The Gladius Ultra HD 4K Underwater Drone is perfect for scuba divers, journalists, underwater photographers and explorers, for personal and commercial applications. Affordable at $599 for the standard model and $799 for 4K capability, this drone will definitely be a big thing in June 2017.
All photos from: indiegogo.com page of Gladius Ultra HD 4K Underwater Drone
