Although the consumer market for underwater drones is still in its infancy, many actors are innovating and developing the technology used by these ROVs and the other models to come in the future.
Here is the list of the major underwater drone brands shaping the market, by country:
- China: Chasing innovation, Geneinno, PowerVision, QYSEA, Robosea, Aquarobotman, Youcan robot and Shenzhen Vxfly
- USA: Blue robotics, Sofarocean
- Hong Kong: Navatics
- Canada: Deep trekker
- Norway: Blueye Robotics
- France: Notilo plus
Carry on reading below if you want to know more about these companies!
1/ Chasing innovation
- Founded in: 2016
- Location: Shenzhen, China
- Specialization: underwater drones
- Popular products : Dory, Galdius, M2
- Target market: consumer’s market (Diving & photography, travel, fishing, yachting) and professionals (Aquaculture, security inspections)
- Website link: https://www.chasing.com/
2/ Geneinno
- Founded in: 2013
- Location: China
- Specialization: underwater drones, sea scooters
- Popular products: Geneinno P1, Geneinno T1
- Target market: professionals, recreational
- Website link: https://www.geneinno.com/
3/ PowerVision
- Founded in: 2009
- Location: Beijing, China
- Specialization: data visualization and forecasting, virtual reality and augmented reality, AI cameras, airborne and underwater drones
- Popular products: PowerRay, PowerDolphin
- Target market: professional and recreational use
- Website link: https://www.powervision.me/
4/ QYSEA
- Founded in: 2016
- Location: Shenzhen, China
- Specialization: underwater drones
- Popular products: Fifish V6, Fifish P3
- Target market: professionals (Aquafarming, exploration, research, maintenance Work, search & sescue, ship inspections), water sports enthusiasts and education
- Website link: https://www.qysea.com/
5/ Notilo plus
- Founded in: 2016
- Location: Marseille, France
- Specialization: underwater drones
- Popular products: ibubble, Seasam
- Target market: leisure and professional (routine structural inspections, scientific research, offshore and underwater works to defense, search and rescue)
- Website link: https://www.notiloplus.com/
6/ Robosea
- Founded in: 2015
- Location: Beijing, China
- Specialization: underwater drones, sea scooters
- Popular product: Biki
- Target market: general public and professionals
- Website link: http://www.robosea.org/
7/ Aquarobotman
- Founded in: 2015
- Location: Shenzhen, China
- Specialization: underwater drones, sea scooters
- Popular product: Nemo
- Target market: leisure (outdoor and underwater sports, yachting, divers) and professionals (marine life research institutions, boat maintenance, underwater shooting, exploration)
- Website link: https://aquarobotman.com/
8/ Youcan robot
- Founded in: 2016
- Location: Shanghai, China
- Specialization: underwater robot products and underwater video creation
- Popular products: BW Space, BW Space Pro
- Target market: leisure (diving, fishing) and professionals (underwater archaeology, marine environmental protection, aquaculture)
- Website link: https://www.youcanrobot.com/
9/ Navatics
- Founded in: 2016
- Location: Hong Kong
- Specialization: user friendly underwater robots
- Popular product: Navatics Mito
- Target market: recreational (fishing, diving, underwater videography, boating) and professionals (commercial inspection, marine research, hull Inspection, search and rescue, aquaculture inspections)
- Website link: https://www.navatics.com/
10/ Blueye Robotics
- Founded in: 2015
- Location: Norway
- Specialization: user-friendly and robust underwater technology
- Popular product: Blueye Pioneer
- Target market: consumer market, education, professionals (dam inspections, aquaculture, ship inspections, law enforcement, wastewater & drinking water management, marine surveillance)
- Website link: https://www.blueyerobotics.com/
11/ Blue robotics
- Founded in: 2014
- Location: California, USA
- Specialization: low-cost, high-performance components for marine robotics, (Electric Motors, thrusters) ROVs and AUVs
- Popular product: BlueROV2
- Target market: professional (inspections, research)
- Website link : https://bluerobotics.com/
12/ Sofarocean
- Founded in: 2019 after merger of OpenROV (Open Source Underwater Robots for exploration and education and Spoondrift (ocean wave and current measurement platform for ocean communities, professionals, and enthusiasts)
- Location: California, USA
- Specialization: accessible ocean sensing and exploration tools
- Popular product: Trident
- Target market: ocean enthusiasts, Professionals (ocean data acquisition and monitoring, underwater bathymetry, inspecting equipment and installations)
- Website link: https://www.sofarocean.com/
13/ Deep Trekker
- Founded in: 2010
- Location: Ontario, Canada
- Specialization: submersible robotics (Underwater drones, robotic crawlers, submersible cameras)
- Popular product: Revolution
- Target market: professionals (Defense, Mining, Energy, Infrastructure, Aquaculture, Ocean Science, commercial diving)
- Website link: https://www.deeptrekker.com/
14/ Shenzhen Vxfly
- Founded in: 2014
- Location: Shenzhen, China
- Specialization: Underwater drones, sea scooters, motorized swimming kickboards, submersible cameras, electric scooters
- Main product: CCROV
- Target market: General public and professionals
- Website link: http://www.vxfly.com/vxfly/index.php