Drones are pretty mainstream nowadays. From mini UAVs to quadcopters capable of shooting in 4K or lifting heavy weights, you have plenty of options to choose from. But in terms of shape, most of the commercial ones are very much alike. So, it was refreshing to see PowerVision launch PowerDolphin, another drone that steers away from helicopter-inspired designs #actionmagic
PowerVision made waves for the first time two years ago with PowerEgg. The oval-shaped drone, which reminded us of a Faberge egg or the spaceships from “Arrival”, came back to CES this year. We saw it hovering at the PowerVision stand but were more impressed by their latest product, PowerDolphin.
This intelligent water drone can shoot underwater or out of water with a 4K camera (12MP stills). Video can be transmitted in real time through long-range wireless at 1080p resolution. That’s pretty much the norm these days, so naturally, the camera features weren’t exactly what drew our attention. Instead, it was the drone’s ability to work as a piloted fishing rod. Turns out, PowerDolphin can release bait from a hidden compartment and drag the prey back to the controller’s location, once the prey bites.
That’s pretty cool, if you like to unwind on weekends in this manner. Otherwise, the drone can be an unexpected life-saver. PowerDolphin can swim up to 5m/sec, which is faster than an Olympic swimmer (when you compare it to men’s 100m freestyle record of 2.17m/sec)! There are three speed gears, though, so you don’t have to program it for a sudden sprint every single day.
Other nice features you should know about before considering taking one home? Up to two hours of battery life, a headlight for underwater footage with 4 brightness levels, support for SD card replacement and mobile control. If that sounds good, prepare to spend 799 euros (9$77) when it comes out in the beginning of summer.
Speaking about life-saving drones, have you seen the unbelievable way a Phantom 4 Pro helped this filmmaker recover his Samsung S8?
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