Meet CRACUNS: A Drone That Can Be Launched From Underwater
If you remember over a year ago we talked about the <a href="https://www.crazyengineers.com/threads/meet-splash-drone-the-fully-waterproof-camera-drone-currently-seeking-funds-on-kickstarter.79256">Meet Splash Drone: The Fully Waterproof Camera Drone Currently Seeking Funds On Kickstarter</a>, a quad-copter that could take off from water. The researchers at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland have taken it to the next level by developing an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that can stay underwater and be asked to launch into the air. This amphibious drone is named Corrosion Resistant Aerial Covert Unmanned Nautical System — or CRACUNS, a name inspired from the fictional creature Kraken. The CRACUNS can be launched from a fixed position underwater from a submarine or from an unmanned underwater vehicle. The CRACUNS gets its “Corrosion Resistant†moniker by being able to stay submerged under sea water and withstanding corrosion from salt water for up to two months.
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So how does the CRACUNS work? Well it, its first stuck on a surface of an underwater vehicle. When it is asked to deploy, it uncouples from its base and then floats up while its propellers guide it to the top. Once it reaches the surface it floats on the surface and can be programmed to lift off. The team at APL have not specified any battery life or flying time figures because it is still in the prototype stage and it will be improved. They are also figuring out a way of allowing the CRACUNS to dive into the water once its mission is complete.
On a drone like CRACUNS the team at Johns Hopkins University had to ensure that drone remains structurally strong at huge depths without using any metal parts. The team used additive manufacturing and fabrication techniques they could lay their hands on to fabricate a lightweight, submersible, composite airframe that can withstand high pressures. The team handled the problem of salt water corrosion by sealing the electrically sensitive components in a dry pressure vessel. They coated the CRACUNS motors with commercially available protective coatings. While the APL has developed the CRACUNS specifically for the Navy they also want to share the technology with ocean researchers who need a low cost drone to monitor the seas.
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So how does the CRACUNS work? Well it, its first stuck on a surface of an underwater vehicle. When it is asked to deploy, it uncouples from its base and then floats up while its propellers guide it to the top. Once it reaches the surface it floats on the surface and can be programmed to lift off. The team at APL have not specified any battery life or flying time figures because it is still in the prototype stage and it will be improved. They are also figuring out a way of allowing the CRACUNS to dive into the water once its mission is complete.
On a drone like CRACUNS the team at Johns Hopkins University had to ensure that drone remains structurally strong at huge depths without using any metal parts. The team used additive manufacturing and fabrication techniques they could lay their hands on to fabricate a lightweight, submersible, composite airframe that can withstand high pressures. The team handled the problem of salt water corrosion by sealing the electrically sensitive components in a dry pressure vessel. They coated the CRACUNS motors with commercially available protective coatings. While the APL has developed the CRACUNS specifically for the Navy they also want to share the technology with ocean researchers who need a low cost drone to monitor the seas.
Source: #-Link-Snipped-# via #-Link-Snipped-#
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