Chasing Innovation Dory Underwater Drone Review

Last Updated on December 1, 2023 by Daniel Osakwe

Chasing Innovation Dory underwater drone Review

When I first saw the Chasing Innovation Dory in action, I was blown away by its features. But the price? Well, it was a bit of a stretch for me to consider investing in one. But a few weeks later, I ended up purchasing one. Why?

I will explain.

The Chasing Innovation Dory is a fully autonomous underwater drone. And it’s designed for deep-sea exploration.

This is the first such underwater drone that I’ve seen in the market. And I’m glad I made the purchase.

So, without further ado, let’s go ahead and look at what the Chasing Innovation Dory is all about.

Table of Contents

Chasing Innovation Dory underwater drone: The Overview

Chasing-Innovation, a Chinese technology company, has announced the addition of an underwater drone to its product line. Introduced today is Dory, the smaller sibling of the highly popular Gladius Mini model.

Its portability and ease of operation will appeal to industrial users, such as technicians inspecting the hull integrity of ships or scientists conducting marine research, however, the drone may also capture the attention of photographers and videographers.

Chasing Innovation Dory underwater drone: Features

To capture the best quality images when working under low-light underwater conditions, Chasing Dory comes with a Full HD (1080p) video camera, a bright f/1.6 lens, and powerful LED headlights.

There are two LEDs mounted on the front of the camera for bright, even lighting. Despite having a maximum dive depth of 15 meters, the drone is still controlled via a smartphone app.

Through the use of a floating signal buoy, which receives wireless signals from the smartphone and transmits instructions to the drone via a bundle of 15m signals cables, this is possible.

With a GPS on the buoy, each image can be associated with the drone’s location. The buoy stores photo and video files. The drone can also be used as an alarm in case the photographer loses contact with the setup.

The app features live view functionality, allowing the user to see images as they are received by Dory’s camera. The app is available for iOS and Android devices and comes with 19 image effect filters preinstalled.

Chasing Innovation Dory underwater drone: Performance

Concerning controllability, the Chasing Dory is equipped with five propellers, two of which are for forward and backward movement, and three of which alter the depth and dive angle. The drone features a pitch angle lock, enabling it to be tilted at an angle between +/- 45°, which will be extremely useful for imaging purposes. In addition, the depth lock stabilizes vertical movement in the water by locking it at the current depth.

Due to its lightweight 1.3 kg design, one-hour battery life, fast charging times, and advanced imaging and maneuverability features, the Chasing Dory drone will no doubt garner a similar following to its larger brother. Dory has the potential to open up professional underwater photography to a wider audience at a manageable price point of $499.