Did you know that humans have explored and mapped larger areas in Mars (Yes, the planet) and the moon in outer space, while only a small part of our oceans has been explored?

It is said that we have only managed to explore just a shy 5% of the ocean floor till now. Though, not entirely accurate, humans have mapped the entire ocean floor to a resolution of 5 km or 3.1 miles. However, we are still missing an accurate detailed mapping of the ocean.

Deep sea exploration can be costly and also dangerous. It is dark, some places are very cold, some are very hot, and we don’t actually know what kind of creatures lurk in the ocean floor.

However, with today’s technology, there are many alternatives that won’t necessary reach the bottom or the Mariana Trench or cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, but it can let you become a modern explorer of the underwater world and maybe catch the Megalodon on film, you never know.

PowerRay by Power Vision

Power Visions is a global technology leader focused on innovating the future of UAV-related products, and the PowerRay is certainly an innovative piece of equipment.

The PowerRay features a 4k HD camera with several shooting modes such as burst mode, able to capture every underwater moment at 5fps in 12 megapixels.  It is capable of getting to almost 100 feet in depth and provides you with 4 hours of operating time with a max speed of 4 knots.

It connects to Vision+ app where you can control and see live what you are filming with the drone. It also connects to the VR One Plus Goggle for a first person view experience, and comes in two versions such as the Wizard which includes the VR Goggles and a fish-finder sonar.

Check them out here! https://www.powervision.me/eu/product/powerray

Gladis Mini by Chasing Technologies

Chasing-Innovation is a leading underwater robot enterprise stablished in 2016 in China committed to provide the best performance for underwater applications.

The Gladius Mini is a 5 thruster mini-size underwater drone measuring 15.1 inches long, 8.8 wide and 5.4 in depth, pretty much a regular laptop size, but 5-6 times thicker. The Gladius Mini can reach up to 330 feet in depth, which is 3 times deeper than the PowerRay; However, running time is only 2 hours with also a max speed of 4 knots.

It also features a 4k HD camera and several diving and filming/photo modes.

Check it out here! https://www.chasing.com/Gladius -mini.html

Robosea Biki by Robosea

Robosea was founded in 2015 and has made its mission to let the application of underwater robots be known to more people. This “cute”, just bigger than a football, underwater drone called Biki, is a really revolutionary robot.

One big difference between Biki and most other underwater drones, is that Biki is wireless. You are not bound to a cable; However, its max depth is 196 feet. It is ultra quiet at just 55 dB or as quiet as inside a library, a storage capacity of 90-120 minutes of video, an integrated gimbal for more stable shots and of course a 16 megapixel 4K video and HD camera, plus a 150 degree wide angle lens.

Some cool features of Biki are the route planning, return to start position thanks to the built-in GPS and its Infrared Obstacle Avoidance feature capable of sensing obstacles within 12 inches and avoiding them.

Check it out here! http://www.robosea.org/en/BIKI.html