When you hear the word “drone”, what comes to your mind is usually a toy-robot or device that takes pictures from the air. Few realize that those devices, which can get where man and larger machines cannot, have their underwater equivalents. During this year’s BALTEXPO it was possible to take a closer look to those robots.

Increasing hobby, military, oil and mining applications as well as growing demand for research, exploration and accumulation of ocean resources, make the unmanned underwater vehicle market to grow continuously. Among the most popular applications of underwater robots, apart from taking beautiful pictures under the water, there are activities related to commercial exploration such as seabed mapping, research, pipeline inspections and offshore drilling.

Underwater drones are popular also in Poland, where they have significantly improved, for example, underwater safety standards. Devices of this type, not without reason, raised interest of visitors during this year’s BALTEXPO. Among the drones, presented by the exhibitors, it was possible to take a closer look to AGEOTEC ROV Lyra. Robot, created by the Italian company Lighthouse, appeared on the Enamor’s stand.

Lyra is one of five drones that are in Lighthouse’s offer. The compact device, made from impact-resistant polypropylene, equipped with a color camera and two LEDs, has already been used in research by ENEL, which it the world?s largest provider of renewable energy.

“Despite the global economic crisis, the underwater robots? market grows continuously. ROVs are used for inspections and research and they are often replacing divers, especially in dangerous and hazardous situations. Powerful cameras can help with poor visibility under the water, so, in case of our products, which are “tailor-made”, we adapt them to the needs and requirements of our customers. Our clients come from various sectors and they use drones for underwater research connected to, eg. archeology or to look for wrecks of ships.” Lighthouse representative told us.