A versatile drone, which students from Denmark printed from scratch using a 3D printer, has shown rare maneuverability: it not only takes off and dives, but is also able to instantly change its environment thanks to special propellers with adjustable pitch angles.
A versatile drone, which students from Denmark printed from scratch using a 3D printer, has shown rare maneuverability: it not only takes off and dives, but is also able to instantly change its environment thanks to special propellers with adjustable pitch angles.
As Interesting Engineeringreports, the development belongs to students of the Faculty of Applied Industrial Electronics at Aalborg University. Their drone, created as part of their bachelor’s thesis, impressed even the authors themselves — in the video, the device repeatedly rises into the air, dives, swims underwater and quickly emerges, performing all transitions without delay.
The drone’s key element is its variable-pitch propellers. In the air, they provide high lift, and in the water, they minimize drag and allow for precise maneuvering. What’s more, they can create reverse thrust, which is useful for sharp underwater turns.
Over the course of two semesters, the team designed the platform, manufactured the housings and mechanisms using a 3D printer and CNC machines, and wrote their own software. All of this within the educational process, under the guidance of Associate Professor Petr Durdzhevych, who heads the Offshore Drones and Robots research group at the university.
The students admit that similar hybrid devices have existed before, in particular, the first experiments with them were conducted at Rutgers University back in 2015, and Chinese scientists demonstrated similar dives in 2023. But their project is distinguished by smooth transitions and simplicity of design, without complex hull transformations.
The technology could be used in military applications, ship inspections, ocean exploration, and rescue operations. It’s still just a prototype, but the team has proven that using available tools, additive manufacturing, machining, and proprietary software, it’s possible to create an effective dual-environment platform.
We previously wrote about how Chinese company Kestrel Defense unveiled a new exoskeleton prototype designed to increase the mobility, endurance, and situational awareness of military personnel operating drones and conducting reconnaissance.
