Diminutive drone is set to show you the underwater world

Underwater drones certainly are handy for inspecting things like boat hulls and fish farm nets – or simply for exploring – but they can often be relatively large, complex devices that cost a few thousand bucks. Such is certainly not the case with the simple li'l BentiX, however.

We first heard about the BentiX back in 2022.

Designed by (at the time) French naval engineering student Nicolas Boraccino, it was the subject of a Kickstarter campaign. Although that crowdfunding project was unsuccessful, Boraccino continued to develop the concept over the years, and has just announced that the commercial version is now available.

Like the original Kickstarter model, this one's body is 3D-printed out of epoxy-coated PETG (polyethylene terephthalate glycol) – a tough thermoplastic polymer – held together by stainless steel screws. It's propelled by four vectored bidirectional brushless motors, each of which can be folded in for storage and transport.

As is the case with other underwater drones/small ROVs, the BentiX is connected to a communications cable that runs from it to a topside joystick remote control unit (wireless radio signals do not travel well through water). That remote displays a live feed from the drone's 1080p/30fps camera, which is assisted in dim conditions by three 300-lumen spotlights.

Both video footage and still photos are saved to either 22 GB of internal memory or an included external 32GB SD card.

The drone is designed to work in both salt and freshwater, with two ballast compartments that can be used to adjust its buoyancy as needed. It can descend to a maximum depth of 30 meters (98 ft). One two-hour charge of its 99.16-Wh lithium-ion battery is claimed to be good for approximately three hours of use.

The €1,490 (about US$1,720) BentiX Essential package includes the drone, remote, cable with reel, chargers, and a waterproof carrying bag. A €2,090 ($2,411) BentiX Explorer package adds an attachable 10,000-lumen LED lamp and an interchangeable-tip robotic gripper to the mix, for extra functionality.

It is worth noting that there are other compact underwater drones – such as the Chasing Gladius Mini S – that actually cost a bit less than the BentiX. Boraccino states that his French-made product's slightly higher price is justified by the fact that it's designed to be user-maintained and -repaired, unlike most of its competitors.

Source: BentiX