When you think of drones, a picture of a hovering quad-copter probably comes to mind. The Loon Copter, on the other hand, takes everything you think you know about drones and flips it upside down, or should we say, on its side.
When the Loon Copter encounters a body of water, it floats upon its surface as a boat would. A special tank on the bottom of the Loon Copter quickly fills with water on just one side so that it falls through the surface of the water sideways, enabling the drone to maintain a sideways orientation as it moves around under water.
Because the Loon Copter stays sideways, it's still controlled via its propellers under water. Just as they would be used to control momentum and direction in the air, it turns out they're just as effective at navigating the small vehicle under water.
Loon Copter was recognized by the Annual Drones for Good competition in Dubai and won the first-place prize because of its versatility.
