What the Human Eye Cannot See: Drones Reveal the Secret Under Water

How much do good Chinese underwater drones cost, available in the European Union?

Reliable Chinese underwater drones (from leading manufacturers such as Chasing Innovation and Qysea) cost from 550 to more than 7,000 euros in the European Union. The final price depends on the purpose of the device:

• For amateurs and beginners (travel, exploration): ~550–800 €. These are compact models (e.g. Chasing Dory), reaching a depth of up to 15 m and filming in HD resolution.

• Advanced amateurs and professionals (for inspection, fishing): ~1,500–3,000 €. These drones (e.g. Chasing Gladius Mini S or Qysea Fifish V-EVO) dive to a depth of 100–150 m, have 4K cameras and a longer battery life.

• For industrial use (search, ship bottom inspection): ~4,500–7,500 €. These are powerful models (e.g. Chasing M2 Pro / Pro Max) with industrial-grade motors and the ability to connect additional accessories (robotic grippers, sonars).

In Lithuania and other EU countries, you can purchase them from official representatives or in online stores such as Varlė.lt or Kaina24.lt.

Press release

 

“What lies in dark lakes, under the surface of fast-flowing rivers or near embankments that the human eye never reaches? Today, these questions are answered not only by using divers or complex expeditions. More and more often, underwater drones do this. Technologies that until recently seemed like science fiction are rapidly becoming a regular part of the work of scientists and engineers. Scientists say that these technologies are changing the approach to monitoring water bodies and making work easier.

 

According to Dr. Linas Jurevičius, a research fellow at the Faculty of Engineering of the Vytautas Magnus University Academy of Agriculture (VMU ŽŪA), underwater drones are increasingly being used to assess the condition of water bodies, inspect hydraulic structures and monitor the environment. From embankments to salmon spawning grounds, L. Jurevičius says that until recently, one could only dream of aquatic robots. “I worked with aerial drones, satellites, and the water seemed like a separate world, but now we are also conducting research underwater,” says the scientist. Although this is not an old technology, the scientist has had to inspect embankments, assess the condition of hydraulic structures, or take samples from deeper reservoirs more than once.

 

“We had to inspect the embankments in Šilutė – we assessed whether there were any washouts, displacements, or other violations. And during another study, we investigated whether the construction of the bridge would have a negative impact on salmon spawning grounds. Initially, we conducted the inspection in places where the water level was low with a conventional drone from the air, and in places where the current was higher and deeper, we used an underwater drone. We did not find any spawning salmon that time, but such studies allow us to objectively assess whether the activities carried out do not harm nature,” says the interviewee.

 

He says that underwater drones work in a very similar way to aerial drones. “They work almost identically. Drones can move in all directions, a 360-degree underwater camera can be installed, and the transmitted image can be monitored via an optical cable.

 

Various accessories can be connected to underwater drones, which allow them to inspect embankments, culverts or other structures, assess the condition of bridge supports, and also take water and soil samples. Previously, such work often required divers or special equipment,” says Dr. L. Jurevičius.

 

Samples from places where it would be difficult for a person to reach

 

One of the biggest advantages of underwater drones is the ability to reach places where it would be difficult or dangerous for a person to work. Usually, water samples are taken from the surface or at a shallow depth. At the same time, underwater drones can dive much deeper and collect data from different water layers. “With a drone, you can dive to a depth of about 150 meters and take samples where it would be difficult for a person. The results of samples from the surface and from the bottom can differ significantly, so we get a much more accurate picture of what is happening in the water body,” says Dr. L. Jurevičius.

 

According to him, additional equipment can be connected to the drone – sonar, metal thickness gauges or other sensors.

 

“Underwater drones can be used much more widely. For example, by connecting a metal thickness gauge, you can assess how structures are affected by corrosion. This helps to carry out various studies faster and more efficiently,” says the scientist.

 

Will drones replace divers?

 

Although technology is rapidly developing, specialists emphasize that it will not yet replace humans. “There are still situations where a human hand is needed – for example, to clean an overgrown structure underwater or perform more complex work. Drones have certainly not yet reached human capabilities, but they are developing rapidly,” says Dr. L. Jurevičius. According to him, underwater robots complement the work of specialists rather than replacing it. They allow for faster initial inspections, reduce risks to people and help plan work more effectively. "Divers cannot dive endlessly in a day, and the robot can be used much more often. In addition, if you need to take a water sample or perform an urgent inspection, you no longer need to call a diver every time.

 

However, the conditions must also be assessed - for example, in a fast-flowing river, controlling a drone becomes a considerable challenge for operators. It swims at about 1.5 meters per second, so you have to assess the speed of the current," says the scientist.

 

The future is for autonomous systems

 

The scientist has no doubt that in the future the capabilities of underwater drones will only expand, and such technologies already today allow for more effective protection of water resources, reduce research costs and make faster decisions. "In the coming years, water drones will definitely improve. Autonomous systems will be able to independently create routes, perform measurements and automatically assess the condition of water bodies," says Dr. L. Jurevičius. According to him, these technologies are already becoming part of the everyday life of future engineers. They are already learning to work with underwater robots, augmented reality systems, laser meters and other equipment that allows them to assess the condition of objects under water. So in the future, we will increasingly seek answers about what is happening underwater using robots.”