Out of all the drones hitting the market, the HOVERAir AQUA is one that excites me the most. The world’s first 100% waterproof self-flying camera is set to revolutionise the way we capture content on the water. In Australia, I expect the AQUA to be a big hit given it’s due for shipping sometime this summer down under.
Key Specs
- 100% Waterproof
- IP67
- Neutral Buoyancy
- Water Takeoff and Landing
- L7 Wind Resistance
- Up to 55kmh/34mph
- Under 250g
- 128GB built-in storage
- Millimetre Wave Radar
- Virtual Tether
- Autonomous Flight Maneuvers
- 23 min Flight Time
- Hydrophobic Lens
- 1/1.28” CMOS sensor
- 4K@100fps
Engineering Marvel
Engineers have pulled off an extremely difficult feat with the HOVERAir AQUA. They’ve essentially taken their popular automated flight drones to the next level with features like a built-in display for shot review and waterproofing. It’s one thing to make a follow me drone that works over land but to perform over water requires tougher materials and more robust wireless communications. Corrosion-resistant titanium screws, sealed anti-corrosion motors are just some of the fortified components in the AQUA. Millimetre wave radar precisely detects wave height and surface conditions for safer takeoff, landing, and low altitude flight over water. This is a first for a consumer drone.
To follow you in the ocean the AQUA’s tracking system combines RTK (Real-Time Kinematics) and CV (Computer Vision) to deliver responsive and reliable tracking. Engineers came up with the – Lighthouse – an armband controller that tethers wirelessly to the drone and controls the various baked in mavenours it perform around its subject. If the drone strays too far from its user it will automatically return.
Flight Options
The HOVERAir AQUA has a flying time of 23 mins and during that period you’ll have more than 15 moves to choose from out on the water. Start with classics like Zoom Out, Orbit, Spiral and Bird’s Eye. Get up close and personal with Side Track, set up a chase scene with Follow, or choose Dolly Track for an immersive front angle view.
Thanks to upgraded algorithms and next-gen stabilisation, SmoothCapture 3.0 will keep your recordings steady, even in the roughest conditions.
Camera
The AQUA uses a 1/1.28” CMOS sensor. The recording specs are pretty good too with 4K resolution from 24fps to 100fps . HDR and H-Log 10-bit recording will also give editing flexibility in post.
Pricing and Availability
HOVERAir AQUA is currently available for pre-order through a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo.
Early bird pricing starts at:
- AQUA Standard Combo A$1,539 (23% off)
- AQUA Fly More Combo A$1,847 (28% off)
- AQUA Land and Sea Combo A$2,156 (28% off)
All products are expected to start shipping globally by December 2025. Full list of specs below.
