For this year’s CES, a company known for its creative (and also peculiar) products, has taken the wraps off perhaps an even odder creation. PowerVision Robot, a Beijing-based Drone builder, has announced a submersible drone that uses sonar to detect fish, a blue light to lure them in and an HD camera to stream all the action back to the boat for amateur and professional fishermen alike to enjoy. The PowerRay is the newest device the company has added to its line of power products, joining PowerEgg, PowerBee, and PowerEye – all of which have launched the company onto a household-name platform.
A New Way to Experience What’s Beneath the Surface
The PowerRay can go down to depths of 30 meters (about 98 feet). That doesn’t sound very deep, but for the average underwater enthusiast, it’s quite enough. After all, you’re not going to be exploring the Titanic with this device. This underwater drone is attached to a controller via a cable that’s around 295 feet long, which you spool out as the drone swims around. On the front of the device is a 4K camera with two powerful LED lights, which help to illuminate whatever lies in front of it.
A 1080p video feed is relayed up the cable to either a smartphone or tablet, or to the PowerRay’s VR goggles that are included with the device. Other features include a removable fish-finder sonar, which has a range of 130 feet, and a detachable arm that lets you dangle bait right in front of the camera so you can get a better look at what wildlife the water has to offer. Three impellers — two in the back, and one on the underside of the device — move the PowerRay through the water. It also has an onboard battery that is good for up to 4 hours.
How Will This Underwater Drone Change Fishing as We Know it?
Fishing is a pastime that has been around for centuries – from survival needs to sport. A device like the PowerRay is great for helping a dedicated fisherman increase his skill or catch bigger fish, but its main goal is for exploration. The PowerRay, along with the other devices in its product family, is ideal for those seeking information about what lies beneath the water’s surface. There’s a wondrous, magical world under there, and PowerRay wants to help you explore it. As far as fishing goes, use this awesome drone in whatever way you wish, but don’t expect a huge change in the industry.
Is This the Future of Drones?
Drones have been around for the past few years, only recently people have been more dedicated to improving them. We first saw an attempt at an Underwater Drone with a concept called the AguaDrone in 2016, which tells users where the fish are and then flies the lure to that spot. But it didn’t quite have the same capabilities that the new PowerRay is showcasing. Through time, we will see more improvements with drones. We are already seeing the transition from air drones to water drones, and also drones that deliver your Chipotle. So is this the future of drones? Maybe, but I like to think through innovation and advancing technology, it will soon be the past.
