graham warwick
June 19, 2023

shorebird

The next-generation Hamadori aquatic drone is a two-body design.

Image credit: Space Entertainment Lab

Japanese drone maker Space Entertainment Laboratory has unveiled a concept for its next-generation aquatic drone at the Paris Air Show. The design is an evolution of the company’s Hamadori range of aquatic drones.

The current Hamadori 3000 is a 19 kg (42 lb) electric drone with a 3.1 m (10.2 ft) span designed to automatically take off and land on water for up to two hours of flight time. Carries an electro-optical/infrared sensor payload.

The larger Hamadori 6000 is a 100kg gas-powered airship drone with a span of 6 meters and the ability to fly for 8 hours. Or 740 km (400 nautical miles) carrying a 10 kg payload including sonar, hydrophones, water sampling sensors and acoustic underwater communications.

The next-generation concept is a twin-hull, multi-purpose design powered by a turboprop engine capable of carrying a payload of up to 300kg and flying up to 500 nautical miles. A payload pod is attached to the center of the main wing and can include autonomous underwater vehicles or sensor, cargo or winch pods.

Capable of autonomous navigation on water, the aircraft can be used as both an unmanned aerial vehicle and a surface vehicle, and is designed to operate in wave heights of up to 3 m. The Space Entertainment Lab has tested scale models and plans to bring the vehicle to market within this decade.

The company describes the Hamadori family as “a very unique drone system” with target markets including ocean observation, transportation and security, and search and rescue.

graham warwick

Graham leads Aviation Week’s technology coverage, focusing on engineering and technology across the aerospace industry, with a particular focus on identifying technologies of strategic importance to aviation, space and defense.