SeaHawk: A New Approach to Ocean Observation

This paper presents the first technical summary of a new unmanned systems concept called SeaHawk. This hybrid vehicle is capable of crossing between the air and water domains. The SeaHawk platform concept is a family of unmanned aerial systems, commonly known as drones, that can both fly and float, or swim, in the ocean. Two key variants have been designed. The F4 (“floating quadcopter”) offers a payload capacity of up to 10 lbs (4.5 kg) and is intended for aquatic data collection. Truly an industry-first, the flagship D4 (“diving quadcopter”) looks a lot like a quadcopter and performs similarly to one in air. Unlike a typical quadcopter, the patent-pending design includes a detachable antenna buoy to transmit imagery and data to the control station. When the vehicle submerges, the buoy remains on the surface and tethered to the vehicle to maintain communication. This paper describes the development history of this novel technology. Key developments completed in 2019 included construction and demonstration of the first vehicle. This trial demonstrated a simple visual inspection of anchor chains as well as a complete fly-swim-fly operational cycle. Anticipated applications for these new vehicle concepts are also discussed.