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How China’s flying submarine drone could change the way sea battles are fought
A transmedium drone flies out of water and then dives into water. Zhang Shuxin and his colleagues have reported that their drone used two kinds of blades with one designed to spin 3,600 times per minute in water to generate a powerful thrust. Photo: Xidian University
A research team in western China has unveiled a drone capable of travelling through air and underwater.
Although it is not the first “transmedium” drone the world has seen, the Chinese prototype uses a design with improved underwater mobility.
Water is 800 times more dense than air, and stickier. Similar drones developed in Western countries must rotate their blades at a slow speed while underwater or risk snapping. But the Chinese drone used two kinds of blades with one designed to spin 3,600 times per minute in water to generate a powerful thrust.
A drone can easily lose balance and flip when moving from one medium to the other. During a 90-second test flight, though, the 1.5kg (3.3lb) Chinese drone remained intact after diving into and emerging from the water seven times.
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/sci...rain-key-chinas-smart-transport-network-rolls
The technology has shown potential in a wide range of applications, according to the researchers, but they said there was room for improvement in its 20-minute flight time and 500-gram (18-ounce) payload capacity.
“The cross-medium UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] is designed to expand the operating environment and application range of existing aircraft, and can make full use of stealth underwater and high manoeuvrability in the air,” said Zhang Shuxin and his colleagues at the school of mechano-electronic engineering in Xidian University in Xian.
Notions of transmedium flight can be traced back to at least the 1930s. Today, some weapons such as submarine-launched intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and airdropped torpedoes can travel through different mediums. But they can move in or out of water just once.
Scientists have not yet found a physical model that works perfectly in both the air and water, so the transmedium journey involves many uncertainties. Nonetheless, many countries have invested heavily in research in this sector, hoping to develop a disruptive technology that can change the dynamics of a sea battle.
China, for instance, is developing transmedium drones to be released by a submarine hundreds of metres under the water’s surface for airborne surveillance, communication or attack, according to publicly available information.
Chinese military scientists are also developing some high-speed, long-range missiles that can jump in and out of water like a flying fish to evade the defence system of a warship or aircraft carrier.
Although the formal deployment of such weapons has not been openly reported yet, some military experts believe they would have a major impact on existing naval tactics and strategy.
www.scmp.com
- Researchers suggest their cross-medium UAV, which moved between water and air seven times in one test, capitalises on stealth underwater and agility in the air
- Although all eyes are on military applications, the researchers believe there could be civilian uses, such as in beach rescues
A transmedium drone flies out of water and then dives into water. Zhang Shuxin and his colleagues have reported that their drone used two kinds of blades with one designed to spin 3,600 times per minute in water to generate a powerful thrust. Photo: Xidian University
A research team in western China has unveiled a drone capable of travelling through air and underwater.
Although it is not the first “transmedium” drone the world has seen, the Chinese prototype uses a design with improved underwater mobility.
Water is 800 times more dense than air, and stickier. Similar drones developed in Western countries must rotate their blades at a slow speed while underwater or risk snapping. But the Chinese drone used two kinds of blades with one designed to spin 3,600 times per minute in water to generate a powerful thrust.
A drone can easily lose balance and flip when moving from one medium to the other. During a 90-second test flight, though, the 1.5kg (3.3lb) Chinese drone remained intact after diving into and emerging from the water seven times.
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/sci...rain-key-chinas-smart-transport-network-rolls
The technology has shown potential in a wide range of applications, according to the researchers, but they said there was room for improvement in its 20-minute flight time and 500-gram (18-ounce) payload capacity.
“The cross-medium UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] is designed to expand the operating environment and application range of existing aircraft, and can make full use of stealth underwater and high manoeuvrability in the air,” said Zhang Shuxin and his colleagues at the school of mechano-electronic engineering in Xidian University in Xian.
Notions of transmedium flight can be traced back to at least the 1930s. Today, some weapons such as submarine-launched intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and airdropped torpedoes can travel through different mediums. But they can move in or out of water just once.
Scientists have not yet found a physical model that works perfectly in both the air and water, so the transmedium journey involves many uncertainties. Nonetheless, many countries have invested heavily in research in this sector, hoping to develop a disruptive technology that can change the dynamics of a sea battle.
China, for instance, is developing transmedium drones to be released by a submarine hundreds of metres under the water’s surface for airborne surveillance, communication or attack, according to publicly available information.
Chinese military scientists are also developing some high-speed, long-range missiles that can jump in and out of water like a flying fish to evade the defence system of a warship or aircraft carrier.
Although the formal deployment of such weapons has not been openly reported yet, some military experts believe they would have a major impact on existing naval tactics and strategy.
How China’s flying submarine drone could change sea battles
Researchers suggest their cross-medium UAV, which moved between water and air seven times in one test, capitalises on stealth underwater and agility in the air.
www.scmp.com
