SPRY Drone Can Swim Through the Sea and Then Return to the Sky

Allow me to set a scene for you: you’ve taken your drone to the beach to film some sick videos of your friends surfing. You’re getting a close up of your buddy catching a gnarly wave when suddenly disaster strikes! You accidentally steer the drone into the wave, and it’s instantly ruined as sinks to the bottom of the ocean where it probably gets eaten by a shark or something. There has got to be a better way! There is, and it’s SPRY — a drone that can be submerged, and then continue to fly.

SPRY recently launched on Kickstarter, and has already more than tripled its funding goal. That’s not surprising, because even experienced pilots recognize the need for a more durable, resilient drone. Both the SPRY drone itself and the included remote control are waterproof and can float, so you don’t have to worry about them falling into the ocean. The drone can briefly remain submerged, and you can even pilot it under the water.

Otherwise, SPRY is on par with other mid-range drones that focus on photography and videography. It has a Sony 1/2.3 CMOS camera that can record 4K video at 30FPS and take 12MP still photos. The camera can be tilted up and down, and includes electronic stabilization. The FPV video feed is displayed on a 4.3" screen on the remote control for manual flying, and GPS autopilot can be used to track people or objects and then return to you. The setup is ideal for recording action sports, and water sports in particular.

The SPRY Kickstarter campaign is running until October 1st. The $769 package includes the drone, remote control, carrying case, battery, charger, two sets of propellers, propeller wrench, and USB cable. Rewards are expected to ship in December.