The Genius Hack For Landing A Drone On Water

At least one drone operator has found a slick hack to save hundreds on a waterproof drone: grab some soda bottles (via GiGadget). The video shows a classic four-rotor drone with a 20-ounce plastic soda bottle linked securely to each foot. The carefully balanced bottles act like pontoons, providing enough displacement that the vehicle can actually land in the middle of a lake. No tragic splashdown, no water damage to sensitive components. Instead, it just floats.

Another enterprising drone pilot took the concept and then went one better. UrbanAtWork put their 3D printer on the case, crafting secure, waterproof linking collars to guarantee a firm connection between the drone and its soda-bottle pontoons. Since more than a few drops of water in any one of those bottles could throw the whole thing off balance and likely plunge it beneath the waves, maintaining stability is key. With custom-made collars, all four bottles should stay dry as a bone.

Drone operators can also take a hands-on approach to potential water exposure. Water damage has been a hazard to aircraft since the Wright brothers, and now many mechanically inclined drone operators have already applied solutions common to larger aircraft to their portable flyers.

For some drone models, water protection is as simple as shopping online. Many drone companies offer manufacturer approved wetsuits, tight-fitting synthetic wraps that protect water-sensitive components while still allowing the machine to fly. Drone wetsuits generally cost around $100 — not cheap, but orders of magnitude cheaper than a dedicated waterproof drone.

If no wetsuits are available or prices are prohibitive, there are also DIY options. A careful combination of elbow grease with conformal coatings, anti-corrosives, and waterproof tape can make a drone water-resistant, if not waterproof. HobbyHenry provides an excellent breakdown of the process, including multiple approaches based on the user’s level of DIY experience. Cuatro Force on YouTube also offers a step-by-step guide for beginners.

Soda-bottle specials aren’t in any danger of replacing actual waterproof drones, of course. Pop pontoons don’t solve the underlying problem: the drone itself is still fragile and susceptible to water damage. One bad breeze could still mean oblivion. Those bottles aren’t exactly SCUBA-rated either, and the slightest leak in any of them could render the whole apparatus useless. Sealant and anti-corrosives come with a similar issue: they work, more or less, but they degrade with time and use, eventually leaving the pilot with the same problem.

That said, hacks are fun. Soda bottle pontoons are a truly elegant 99-cent fix for what currently prices out at a mulit-thousand-dollar problem: drones that are waterproof out of the box, like DJI’s M30, are still $10k+. Likewise DIY solutions, which offer much of the utility of waterproof drones at a fraction of the cost. Until waterproof drone prices come down, fiscally frugal flyers might consider opening up their machines and proofing themselves. Alternatively, drink more caffeine and give the pontoon thing a shot.