Drone-maker Fathom has released details of an underwater drone it’s developing that can be used by anglers to view what’s under the water before casting their rods.
It was inspired after one of the creators friends was moaning he couldn’t see what was under the water before going fishing on Thumb Lake in Michigan.
“There’s all these myths and legends about what’s actually down in the lake but no one one actually knows,” Fathom partner Matthew Gira said. “And it’s a really deep lake. You can’t just go down there and swim and see.”
So him and engineering student Danny Vessells decided to create an underwater drone that could be controlled by a smartphone or tablet and attached to a buoy so it can always be recovered if it runs out of battery, for example or there are strong currents that risk the loss of the machine. The tether also allows video to be sent back to the smartphone or tablet, because sending good-quality footage is impossible over such long distances.
Gira explained the drone could also be used for other applications, such as search and rescue missions by the police, or by divers to see where they’re heading when on underwater missions.
Fathom will be sold for $600, although the company is still a long way off from being able to put the drone into production. It has received $28,000 in funding from entrepreneurs and winning innovation competitions to take it further, but until it can perfect the design and find manufacturing partners, it’s unlikely to come to market any time soon.
