A team of researchers from Rutger University headed by Javier Diez, a professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, has just secured a grant from the U.S. Navy to develop a transformer drone that can fly and swim.
Dubbed as the Naviator drone, the amphibious device has been in development for years with the help of graduate and undergraduate students. It was recently demonstrated before U.S. Navy research officials, and the team was granted $618,000 funding immediately.
"They told me they'd never seen anything like it,' Diez said, according to the Daily Mail. This was probably understandable, as the researchers claim their device defies nature with its ability to perform flying and swimming with equal proficiency. "Waterfowl are still better at flying than swimming, and flying fish are still better at swimming than flying. Our device is equally adept at both," Diez added.
The Navy expects the Naviator to augment their ability to inspect underwater structures. In addition, it is seen as a tool that can rapidly investigate threats such as mines or spy on enemies by going in and out of the water to gather ship deployment information, the researchers said in an official statement. The drone can also play a role in search and rescue missions by scanning the water from above, looking for survivors and diving into the water in order to investigate.
The Naviator is controlled remotely, including its transformation between flight and submarine mode, according to Popular Mechanics. Watch the proof of concept Naviator in action below.
