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Flat-front dive housing for GoPro cameras available now, ready for your Memorial Day diving trip

Mat Smith — Mon, 14 May 2012 19:11:00 EST

Anyone looking to capture their next deep-sea adventure in high-definition video is in luck, because GoPro's new dive housing is now available to buy at its online store. We got a peek at this one during NAB 2012 a few weeks ago and were told its flat lens should cut down on vignetting and blurring. Compatible with all of its HD Hero family, the casing will set you back $50 and also up for grabs in the bricks-and-mortar likes of Best Buy, Sports Chalet and several specialist sports stores. All that remains is to recall where we left that robot submarine.

Gallery: GoPro @ NAB 2012

Continue reading Flat-front dive housing for GoPro cameras available now, ready for your Memorial Day diving trip

Flat-front dive housing for GoPro cameras available now, ready for your Memorial Day diving trip originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 May 2012 19:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Virgin goes underwater with Necker Nymph aero submarine

Richard Lai — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 12:19:00 EST

Cor blimey! Sir Richard Branson sure is ambitious. Just when you thought conquering the final frontier was all that the Virgin empire was fixated upon, today it announces a new product for its Limited Edition retreats on Planet Earth -- the Necker Nymph aero submarine. As the 'aero' part implies, the vehicle relies on "downward 'lift' on the wings" to counteract its positive buoyancy during its two-hour dives, which probably means it can't remain stationary underwater while you grab nearby weeds or whatnot in those open cockpits. Still, given the chance, we suspect any mere mortal would be up for a spin if beached on Necker Island -- 'course, coming up with the $25,000 per week lease rate may prove to be an insurmountable task.

Virgin goes underwater with Necker Nymph aero submarine originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jan 2010 12:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Underwater Scuba Mask Camera does photos and videos, lets you breathe

Richard Lai — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 02:03:00 EST

You know, having to lug a camera around while diving just spoils the fun, not to mention the slight chance that you'll also need your hands to fend off some underfed sharks. Chinavasion may have solved this problem with its $116.99 Underwater Scuba Mask Camera, which sports a snorkel plus 4GB of storage, and does 1280 x 960 for both still pictures and videos -- pretty impressive resolution for the latter, although picture quality and frame rate remain a secret. Operation is also seemingly easy -- rub the magnetic ring for one second for a picture or two seconds for a video, then the mask vibrates accordingly to confirm capture. You best be feeling photogenic, Flipper!

Gallery: Underwater Scuba Mask Camera from Chinavasion

Underwater Scuba Mask Camera does photos and videos, lets you breathe originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Jan 2010 02:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Underwater robot has sense of touch, class and style

Laura June — Thu, 07 May 2009 10:23:00 EST

At the Fraunhofer Institute in Bremen, Germany, a group of researchers, in conjunction with the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence DFKI, is developing an underwater robot with a sense of touch. The octopus-esque robot is equipped with a strain gauge which triggers electrical resistance changes when an obstacle is encountered. The strain gauges -- which are printed onto the robot -- which are ten micrometers wide (about half the width of a human hair), are made up of atomized nanoparticles, and are extremely sensitive. The researchers intend for the robot to be able to distinguish between actual obstacles and water currents. The robot's first stop will be a public trade show at the end of May in Nuremberg, after which it will presumably make it's way to the dark depths of the sea to meet up with Captain Nemo and the giant squid.

Filed under: Robots

Underwater robot has sense of touch, class and style originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 May 2009 10:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DepthX robotic submarine maps world's deepest sinkhole

Darren Murph — Wed, 23 May 2007 17:11:00 EST

After the recent streak of robotic failures that we've seen, it's refreshing to see yet another success story come our way. Just as it did in February, the two-meter wide DepthX (Deep Phreatic Thermal Explorer) robotic submarine successfully mapped out a massive sinkhole in Mexico, but this time was quite a bit more rewarding. The cavern that it ventured into was the El Zacatón Cenote, which is better known as the world's deepest water-filled sinkhole, and the machine was able to delve some 270-meters down to "create the first map of the giant cavity." The hole itself is large enough to "swallow New York's Chrysler Building," and while the endeavor was indeed a success, researchers are hoping to get it back down there in the near future to better analyze a mysterious slope that it wasn't quite able to probe. Godspeed, DepthX.

[Via Slashdot]

Filed under: Robots

DepthX robotic submarine maps world's deepest sinkhole originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 May 2007 17:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Britain's Isis ROV set to trawl the depths of Antarctica

Darren Murph — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 22:18:00 EST

We've seen mechanical devices creep through the inside of intestines, huge mounds of dirt, and even through the San Francisco Bay, but now a British deep-diving remotely operated vehicle (ROV) is getting set to probe the depths of Antarctica. In hopes of uncovering more about the effects of glaciers on the ocean floor, as well as details about the living creatures that inhabit said areas, UK scientists are carting the machine aboard the RSS James Clark Ross as they head for the Marguerite Bay area on the west side of the Antarctic Peninsula. The robot, dubbed Isis, will spend time on its inaugural January mission combing the seabed and channeling live video and pictures back to its captains via the built-in cameras, lights, sonars for acoustic navigation / imaging, and two remotely-controlled manipulator arms. Once the bot gets dried off (and thawed out) from its arctic expedition, the next tour of duty is already lined up, as Isis will head off to the Portuguese coast to do a bit more sightseeing. Of course, if you're interested in taking the £4.5 million ($8.81 million) creature out for a mission you deem worthwhile, it should be available for deep-pocketed renters soon after.

Filed under: Robots

Britain's Isis ROV set to trawl the depths of Antarctica originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Dec 2006 22:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MediDive's Asthma Freedom Snorkle

Donald Melanson — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 10:01:00 EST

Australian company MediDive has created what it claims to be the world's first snorkle for asthmatics, finally giving those suffering from asthma the ability to go on daring diving expiditions with their local Team Zissou. MediDive's solution isn't the most complicated one, but it should get the job done. Before getting suited up for a dive, you simply remove the Metered Dose Inhaler canister from your regular asthma inhaler and insert it into the specially-designed compartment in the Asthma Freedom Snorkle; then, when you need a dose of medication, you simply use the snorkle as you would your usual asthma inhaler. Other more snorkle-oriented features include a purge valve to clear out water, a flex tube section for enhanced comfort, and an interchangeable silicon mouthpiece -- red cap not included. No word on price or compatibility with whippits, but it looks to only be available in Australia and New Zealand for the time being.

[Via Crave]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

MediDive's Asthma Freedom Snorkle originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Nov 2006 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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U-Boat Worx set to release CQ1 personal submarine

Evan Blass — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 17:50:00 EST

With all the great underwater nature documentaries available in high definition these days, we have no real interest in actually getting out of our chairs to go exploring among sharks, fish, and seaweed, but it's nice to know that there will soon be a non-self-powered personal submarine on the market in case we ever do decide to take the plunge. After three years of furious design, development, and testing, a Dutch company called U-Boat Worx is finally ready to release its battery-powered C-Quester 1 to aquatic enthusiasts worldwide, which will allow them to cruise down to depths of 50 meters at a maximum speed of 3 knots for up to two-and-a-half hours. The main advantage of this craft over traditional scuba diving is the fact that its cabin maintains a constant pressure of one atmosphere, meaning that you can surface immediately without having to sit through those boring decompression periods -- and if for some reason you can't surface, the on-board oxygen tanks and CO2 scrubbers will keep you alive for 36 hours or until help arrives, whichever comes first. Scheduled to ship sometime this month, the CQ1 is conspicuously missing a pricetag on the company's website; you have to call or write if you're interested, which probably means that pricing falls somewhere between a Sea-doo and a 7-series BMW.

[Thanks, Sytse S.]

Filed under: Transportation

U-Boat Worx set to release CQ1 personal submarine originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Jul 2006 17:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Seabobbing: swimming for the lazy

Evan Blass — Thu, 08 Jun 2006 13:22:00 EST

Hanging out at the beach is always a lot of fun, but swimming in the ocean is, like, really tiring, so when our friends all decide to go in the water, we usually cop-out by making up some lame excuse about a leg cramp. Thanks to a new product on the market called the Seabob, however, we may soon be able to enjoy the surf as much as we enjoy sitting on our towel drinking daiquiris, as the German-engineered device promises to do for swimming what the Segway has done for walking, Seabob is able to propel its rider along the surface of the water at 12-miles-per-hour, and then dive down to nine feet with only light pressure applied to its controls, although overriding the electronic depth-limiter lets experienced divers cruise as low as 130 feet. Power comes from a 3.6-kilowatt electric motor delivering 570-newtons of thrust, and a handy LCD display keeps you informed of water temperature, diving depth, and the 60-minute battery's remaining capacity. As we learned from Segway, leading a sedentary lifestyle doesn't come cheap, so until they initiate a loan program, don't be surprised if you end up shelling out over ten grand for one of these models after taxes, shipping, etc.

[Via Stuff]

Filed under: Transportation

Seabobbing: swimming for the lazy originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Jun 2006 13:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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