Details of a new drone have been revealed this week that is capable of taking off from water thanks to an explosion powered water jet on the rear of the drone. The water jet allows the drone to be propelled by a gas explosion launching it from the surface of water. The gas explosion is generated using small amounts of calcium carbide powder stored inside the robot, and water. Water is mixed with the powder one drop at a time, producing acetylene gas, which gets piped into a combustion chamber along with air and water. Check out the demonstration video below to see it in action.
“For the vehicle to fly in a stable manner during the jetting phase, the center of mass must be a significant distance in front of the center of pressure of the vehicle. However, to maintain a stable floating position on the water surface and the desired angle during jetting, the center of mass must be located behind the center of buoyancy. For the gliding phase, a fine balance between the center of mass and the center of pressure must be struck to achieve static longitudinal flight stability passively. During gliding, the center of mass should be slightly forward from the wing’s center of pressure. “
Jump over to the website below for more details on the Flying Fish drone and the development of its new propulsion systems.
Source: IEEE : Science Robotics : Engadget