TECHNOLOGY
Exploring the Depths with the Fathom One
Aerial drones have demonstrated immense potential in a wide range of applications.
20 October, 2016
Less well-known than their airborne cousins, underwater drones can be just as eye-opening.
The new Fathom One underwater drone might never have happened if not for a bit of local history. Fortunately, grandfathers tell old stories—and Daniel Vessells listened to his. When Vessells heard there were horse-drawn wagons beneath the surface of a nearby lake – logging wagons that had fallen through the ice decades ago – Vessells wondered whether there was a way to harness technology to explore the lake and find them.
That prompted Vessells, co-founder of Fathom One, to start designing a relatively inexpensive drone that could do for businesses and recreational buffs on the water what drones have been doing in the air. It took two years and multiple iterations of his concept, but Vessells and his team finally created the Fathom One for people to use without having to buy a pricey commercial underwater drone system.
That prompted Vessells, co-founder of Fathom One, to start designing a relatively inexpensive drone that could do for businesses and recreational buffs on the water what drones have been doing in the air. It took two years and multiple iterations of his concept, but Vessells and his team finally created the Fathom One for people to use without having to buy a pricey commercial underwater drone system.
Vessells, along with John Boss and Matthew Gira, focused on creating a modular, easy to use drone with a $600 price point. Since then, the Hope College students have gotten lots of attention, winning $20,000 in startup funding from Start Garden and launching their own KickStarter campaign to keep it all going.
The drone hull is made from an acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic on an aircraft-grade aluminium frame, which allows it to handle underwater pressures to a depth of 46 meters. The device is controlled with the Fathom app via mobile device (there is also an optional physical control) and can move at speeds of up to 1.5 meters per second. The basic model is equipped with a 1080p camera, dual 3W LED lights, depth and heading sensors, and a battery that lasts up to an hour. A tether keeps the Fathom One from plunging too far into the great unknown.
The drone hull is made from an acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic on an aircraft-grade aluminium frame, which allows it to handle underwater pressures to a depth of 46 meters. The device is controlled with the Fathom app via mobile device (there is also an optional physical control) and can move at speeds of up to 1.5 meters per second. The basic model is equipped with a 1080p camera, dual 3W LED lights, depth and heading sensors, and a battery that lasts up to an hour. A tether keeps the Fathom One from plunging too far into the great unknown.
Images: Kickstarter
Boss takes the lead on product development and has worked hard to perfect a wireless buoy that will extend the working range of the Fathom One. The WiFi buoy transmits up to 100 feet away using any smart device. To use the system, the drone connects to the buoy, which in turn connects to either an Android or iOS device that is equipped with the Fathom app. The buoy system will help to get around practical drone deployment problems created by the fact that underwater wireless is still unavailable. That is why the tether transfers the data to the buoy, which transmits it to the enabled mobile device.
The device swims more like a fish than a robot, so it makes better use of its battery life. Furthermore, its light weight and portability (a major advantage of an aluminium frame) are specifically designed to make it easy to customize with add-on features. The drone got a big boost from the 3D printing lab at the Hope College, where it was the students' capstone engineering project – and where the available design software and other technologies made the drone possible.
Image: Fathom Drone
Vessells and the Fathom One team are pitching the drone as a fun tool for the backyard pool or the beach, but its value becomes clear when considering future business and government applications. The Fathom One can be used to check underwater pipes or equipment during routine inspections, or conduct marine research. The drone also makes sense for use in some search and rescue operations – or even for fishing and crabbing work. Team member Boss says his own grandfather is eager to use Fathom One when he goes ice fishing.
The Fathom One team already is seeing interest from coral reef researchers who hope to use it in the American Samoas next year, and a law enforcement agency has ordered one for its rescue dive team. Clearly, drones can do much more than fly.
The Fathom One team already is seeing interest from coral reef researchers who hope to use it in the American Samoas next year, and a law enforcement agency has ordered one for its rescue dive team. Clearly, drones can do much more than fly.
Banner image: Aqua Drones