A team of applied industrial electronics students at Aalborg University, Denmark—Andrei Copaci, Pawel Kowalczyk, Krzysztof Sierocki, and Mikolaj Dzwigalo—have developed a 3D-printed hybrid drone capable of operating both in air and water, reports Live Science.
At the core of this innovation lies a variable-pitch propeller system whose blades dynamically adjust their angle to suit both aerial and aquatic environments. During flight, the propeller blades are set to a higher pitch to generate maximum thrust and airflow. Upon entering water, the blades shift to a lower pitch, significantly reducing drag and boosting efficiency. These propellers also support negative thrust for precise underwater maneuvering.
Mechanically, the drone is fabricated using 3D printing and CNC machining, enabling rapid prototyping and precise control over component geometries. Custom software was also developed to manage the drone’s operations, coordinating the pitch adjustments and control logic in real time.
In practical demonstrations, the drone takes off beside a pool, dives underwater, navigates beneath the surface, and then shoots back into the air—in one continuous, seamless motion. The transition impressed even the creators for its fluidity.
From an engineering point of view, this design offers a mechanically simpler alternative to previous hybrids, which often rely on complex transformable structures. By focusing on propeller adaptability rather than structural reconfiguration, the students have demonstrated a highly effective solution with fewer moving parts and improved reliability.
Though currently at the prototype stage, this innovation holds significant promise for applications in marine exploration, vessel inspection, search-and-rescue, and other domains where seamless multi-environment operation is advantageous.