Initially, underwater robots were primarily used in military and scientific research fields; now they have gradually gained widespread application in consumer sectors such as diving and entertainment. With the opening up of the consumer market, improvements in infrastructure, and advancements in various technologies, the underwater robot industry has ushered in a new blue ocean of development. More underwater intelligent equipment has emerged to help people explore and develop the underwater world.
As learned by Phoenix Network Guangdong, the first fish-finding drone – CHASING F1 – was officially launched on August 25, 2020, providing a new channel for exploring the underwater world.
Developed meticulously by CHASING Innovation, CHASING F1 is a digital high-definition mobile visual fish-finding drone designed for fishing enthusiasts. It can be used to locate fishing spots, observe terrain, environments, and fish layer distribution, and real-time monitor, shoot, and live-stream the fishing process, delivering an unprecedented fishing experience.
Underwater visibility is far lower than in the air; human eyesight range shrinks as brightness decreases underwater, a problem solved by underwater drones. CHASING F1 is equipped with 4 vector thrusters and can be wirelessly controlled via a mobile app to achieve precise horizontal movement in all directions, enabling quick fishing spot location. It features a built-in 1080P full HD starlight-level digital probe with integrated depth and temperature sensors, capable of vertical lifting and waterproof up to 28 meters. An IR infrared light is paired beside the probe, providing a 1-meter visibility range in dark conditions at night, allowing accurate monitoring of underwater conditions and fish school positions.
CHASING F1 supports mounting of various spherical sonars (such as DEEPER Sonar and Leqi) to expand fish-finding range. Utilizing combined sonar and visual fish-finding technology, it enables flexible application across scenarios, widely suitable for lakes, reservoirs, rivers, ice surfaces, and other environments, meeting the needs of lake fishing, wild fishing, boat raft fishing, ice fishing, lure fishing, and other fishing methods.
Water resistance is greater than air resistance, and higher resistance leads to higher energy consumption – making battery life a major drawback of underwater drones. To address this, CHASING F1 adopts a built-in lithium battery with a battery life of up to 6 hours, which is replaceable, satisfying the demand for long outdoor fishing sessions. It is also equipped with a precise GPS positioning system, enabling position holding, multi-fishing spot recording, automatic cruise between fishing spots, and one-click return. If the device exceeds the remote control range, it can automatically return, ensuring safe use.
With the growing demand for underwater robots in domestic offshore oil engineering, scientific research projects, and other fields, and policy support from relevant government departments for the industrialization of underwater robots, China’s underwater robot industry will further achieve large-scale development in the future
