This hybrid Chinese drone soars like a bird and swims like a fish
Multi-biome drones could have some very interesting applications, especially in the military ...
Key takeaways
- Ben Chen and their team have unveiled a revolutionary new quadcopter prototype, the Mirs-X.
- See it in action This hybrid marvel can soar through the skies like an eagle and swim underwater like a fish.
- The Mirs-X prototype is pretty small in size, weighing barely 3.5 pounds and measuring just under 15 inches.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2023) 'This hybrid Chinese drone soars like a bird and swims like a fish', 311 Institute, 19 February. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/this-hybrid-chinese-drone-soars-like-a-bird-and-swims-like-a-fish/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
You’re used to seeing drones crossing oceans, swarms of drones chasing people through woods, and drones being armed and used to deliver donuts. But now a research team at the Chinese University in Hong Kong recently demonstrated that, despite giving off an aura of extraterrestrial technology to onlookers, it's not out-of-this-world for objects to traverse between water and air in the blink of an eye.
This remarkable capability was highlighted by videos from various military branches showing Unidentified Aerial Phenomena performing such a feat.
Ben Chen and their team have unveiled a revolutionary new quadcopter prototype, the Mirs-X. Featuring eye-catching capabilities, including six minutes of flight or 40 minutes underwater at depths up to three meters, this robotic innovation is set to be presented in detail at IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation - an event not soon forgotten!
See it in action
This hybrid marvel can soar through the skies like an eagle and swim underwater like a fish. With its impressive abilities, this revolutionary piece of hardware offers ground breaking opportunities for exploration, surveillance, scientific research, and more, opening up possibilities that have never been seen before.
Researchers achieved a feat of engineering ingenuity by equipping each motor with a dual-speed gearbox and rotating mounts to allow for the drones' ability to manoeuvre in two separate environments. This ground breaking innovation has equipped these propellers with the capability to tilt toward their desired direction, allowing them complete control over fluid movements both above and below sea level.
For Mirs-X to be successful, precise propeller speed plays an essential role. As we all know, the air is far less dense than water, and the drone's propellers should be able to spin fast to generate lift to hover and rise effortlessly.
Simultaneously, these propellers will slow down immensely when the drone reaches underwater to provide the much-needed thrust.
The Mirs-X prototype is pretty small in size, weighing barely 3.5 pounds and measuring just under 15 inches. However, Ben and his team hope to increase the prototype size to around 6 feet in the upcoming experiments.
The future model might include additional abilities, such as carrying and grasping underwater objects, despite warnings by New Scientist that attempting to make this drone completely waterproof may hinder its performance. It could provide invaluable assistance during search and rescue situations or surveying engineering projects if the challenges were overcome.
What this means for your organisation
One platform, two environments.
Moving between air and water usually needs two vehicles. The Mirs-X does both with rotating mounts and gearboxes. Operators inspecting bridges, ports or offshore assets should take note.
Endurance is the limitation.
Six minutes in the air and 40 minutes underwater is short for real work. Depth is limited to three metres. Judge such craft on mission endurance, not versatility alone.
Mechanical design does the work.
The breakthrough is in gearboxes and tilting mounts, not software. Hardware engineering remains the constraint in robotics. Suppliers of precision mechanisms have an opening.
Three questions for your next leadership meeting
- Which of our assets span both water and air access?
- What endurance would a survey drone need for our work?
- Do we have mechanical engineering strengths to apply here?
The trends and technologies behind this story
From the 311 Starburst, the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit’s map of the technologies and trends shaping the next 50 years.
Analysis by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit, from Matthew Griffin’s article and 311 data. First published on Fanatical Futurist.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
Multi-biome drones could have some very interesting applications, especially in the military ...
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, President and Futurist, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 17-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder, President and Futurist of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity programme, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Sources and further reading
- Chinese University in Hong Kong cuhk.edu.hk
- Chen benmei www4.mae.cuhk.edu.hk
- 2357125 diving drone can switch between flying and swimming newscientist.com
- IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation icra2023.org
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 19 February 2023. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2023). This hybrid Chinese drone soars like a bird and swims like a fish. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/this-hybrid-chinese-drone-soars-like-a-bird-and-swims-like-a-fish/
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