Penguins, the swift swimmers of Antarctica, are the perfect models for an underwater drone. That’s exactly what the German company EvoLogics thought when they built the Quadroin AUV (autonomous underwater vehicle).
The robot
The Quadrion is an underwater drone that was built to survey the seafloor. It measures 44in in length and weighs less than 55 pounds. By copying the shape of a penguin, the Quadrion fuses speed and agility. Its four rear thrusters allow it to reach speeds up to 11.5 mph and depths of 492 feet. It can also carry up to 6.6 pounds worth of gear with a battery life of 10 hours when at cruising speed (4.5 mph). It also has a collapsible antenna, WiFi, radio, and global navigation capabilities to establish seamless interactions above water.
The purpose
The Quadrion’s main purpose is to survey and monitor the seafloor. Using its diverse array of tools, it can capture water characteristics and other data. It also possesses two full HD underwater cameras that allow the user to see an area underneath the AUV. It also has AI-powered object recognition systems that allow the robot to identify objects found using its sonar and cameras. Additionally, has an anti-collision system that allows it to avoid would-be-collisions via its front-facing sonars. The Quadrion will enter production at the end of this year and will be able to be bought for commercial use.
The history
The Quadrion is a descendant of another AUV called PingGuin, which was released in 2020 by EvoLogics. The family line stretches even further back with AquaPenguin in 2009. The Quadrion is only the continuation of penguin-like AUVs and will continue to be improved in the future.
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https://newatlas.com/robotics/evologics-quadroin-penguin-inspired-auv/
https://lifeboat.com/blog/2024/04/this-penguin-inspired-underwater-drone-can-dart-through-water
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