HAUD: Hybrid Aerial-Underwater Drone (Black Team)

Discipline: MAE

Advisor: Darshan Yadav

The Hybrid Aerial-Underwater Drone (HAUD) is an innovative platform designed to simplify complex marine research and inspection missions. Traditional approaches require separate unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for aerial observation and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) for underwater work, increasing costs, logistics, and operational complexity. HAUD eliminates this barrier by combining both capabilities into one versatile system. The drone can perform aerial reconnaissance, land on the water, transition underwater for inspection tasks, and transmit real-time data to operators. By integrating vertical takeoff/landing (VTOL) quadcopter flight with a pressure-resistant submersible design, HAUD enables seamless operation across the air–water boundary. A key feature is its motorized tether system, which maintains a communication link above the surface, allowing underwater video and sensor data to be delivered wirelessly to operators. HAUD is designed for academic marine researchers, environmental monitoring organizations, and civil infrastructure inspectors, with additional applications for local government and defense operations. By consolidating aerial and underwater capabilities into a single platform, HAUD reduces mission time, operational costs, and equipment requirements while improving safety and accessibility. The project aims to deliver a functional prototype capable of demonstrating both flight and underwater performance, highlighting the system’s potential to transform marine research and inspection workflows.

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