We are Sam and Amanda from DeepTrekker! We make underwater ROV and Drones for Search and Rescue, Exploration, and more! Ask Us Anything!

If I support my local Search and Rescue and get lost, would you come find me?

I'd sure try!

Do you guys have any serious stories from search and rescue? Have you ever had a deeptrekker be used to look for missing/presumed dead people in lakes/rivers in Canada?

We have been involved in quite a few search missions. Many I can't talk about, but there was one particularly sad story of a boy lost in a river where we cut holes through the ice and used the Deep Trekker to run sweeps under the ice. Though it was published in newspapers, I'm not fond of promoting it as it was a terrible tragedy and not one that should be used for commercial promotion.

how do you power your drones? Lipo? How do you keep them at a good operating temperature in colder water?

Yes, LiPo batteries. The motors are enclosed in the body, and actually work to keep the temperature up in cold water. In warm conditions the aluminum sides act as heat sinks for the motors, keeping things cool when needed.

I saw that you guys do a lot of stuff related to oil pipelines? What does your drone do to help protect the oceans from oil spills?

Great question. Our units are awesome for inspection of infrastructure to ensure that things like pipelines are in good shape, and not leaking. ROVs are used for preventative inspection and maintenance to protect against future problems. We have even integrated Non Destructive Testing equipment which can help in testing the integrity of pipelines and related infrastructure.

I'm not exactly rolling in cash but would LOVE one for my boat- this looks super cool. Do you have a link to your least expensive model?

Sure thing!! http://www.deeptrekker.com/product/dtg2-starter/

Watch for an exciting promotion coming up very shortly as well :) Hint! Hint!

Amazing! Thanks. I signed up for your newsletter on the website to keep in touch. Appreciate it.

Thanks so much!!

I think it is amazing that you guys are female entrepreneurs! What is like to be one is such a male oriented space?

In short, all kinds of fun!! Often at shows when I hand my business card over people will say "but you're not Sam?!" I can totally see how my name can throw people for a loop, but I'm also a rarity in the robotics biz for sure. For the most part, people are very respectful, and it only takes a moment to get over any surprise and back to business at hand.

Do you see your drones being used in marine research whether it be marine aquatics or measuring ecosystem variables? I feel like these drones could be equipped with sensors that could measure certain values that are tedious or dangerous to acquire for researchers. Why or why not would you attempt to enter this market?

Yes, definitely! We do offer a range of sensors for marine research professionals. Environment Canada are currently using our ROVs to perform environmental monitoring and research. There are also a lots of University researchers completing their work with Deep Trekkers. You're right that it's always dangerous to send in a diver, especially in unknown areas where marine researchers may be trying to investigate. Not only that, it's expensive for researchers to hire divers to collect samples for them. We have products for oxygen testing, sediment and water sampling and others.. So in short, marine research is a great market for underwater drones, sometimes we have to wait on grants to go through but it's still an amazing feeling to be able to help researchers get their work done in a more efficient and cost effective way. So our entire society can learn more about our oceans. ~Amanda

I've been studying computer, electrical, and mechanical engineering, and I'm currently building my first quadcopter from scratch, because I love autonomous vehicles. I just finished my degree, what would you suggest I do to work in your field? / for a very similar company?

AMAZING!! Congratulations! I'm super biased, but I'm a HUGE fan of startups... either starting your own or working for one. Having a big project either on the go or completed on your own will go a long way towards impressing your would-be boss for sure. Because startup life, while fun, can be a lot more work than big company life, I suggest you look for a small company who is making something that you can really and truly be passionate about. Have a look around for startup camps, or robotics meetups and meet as many people as you can in your target industry... or if you can afford to, find a missing part of the quadcopter industry and do your own startup!

Already did the start-your-own business thing, started a TCG store with my friend and brother, never looked back once I sold my share, way too much work for me. I'm a tinkerer, not a businessman. Thanks for the advice, any suggestions for where I can find some of these more professional robotics communities? All I've found are amateur forums where people argue about multirotors.

I totally get it!! It might require getting out in the real world in addition to online. Truly meeting people was the key for me. The universities and business organizations around here often host breakfast and after-work events with speakers (and beer if you're lucky!) and networking opportunities. I've found those to be extremely valuable in finding good people, and in the past, finding good jobs :)

What is the coolest thing you have seen through the underwater drones?

I'm a big fan of the wildlife underwater. I've spotted some clownfish in Honduras, and watching a sheephead devour barnacles in Florida consumed hours of my time! The bass right here in ontario are fun because they are so curious, and come right up and stare at the drone. It feels like you are face to face with a fish! I've had the opportunity to see many shipwrecks, which I love. I like to read about the wrecks and the fateful moments before the sinking, then explore the boat with the ROV. I've also been a part of some pretty cool infrastructure and hull inspection jobs, where we have looked at things that had not been inspected in 25 years or more. In the early days of Deep Trekker, my shiny DTG2 got chomped on by a barracuda. Seeing the teeth come straight at me was pretty awesome.

what are the possibilities for exploration off the coast of bc?

Hi there!! Coastal BC is Canada's busiest coastal waterway, and shipwrecks are plenty! Additionally, B.C.’s coast is also home to the Juan de Fuca volcanic ridge, where volcanic vents spew out newly created ocean crust.

How much average extra time is added to a mission because of managing a tether?

Hi there! Our tethers are super light weight, and thin but strong. We have been able to achieve this through some great engineering, and because we don't need to send power down. When they are on a reel, they are super simple to manage, and don't add much time to the mission.

What percentage of missions you take on are greater than 100m in depth?

Great question. My personal experience is not too many but that's because I'm here in Ontario and the Great Lakes are so deep. I unfortunately don't know how many of my customers are pushing past 100M, but I can say that there was significant demand for a deeper-depth unit in our ocean-based markets, and so we developed the DTX2 and it has been selling extremely well.

I'm interested in learning to use a drone like this but I don't live near any oceans nor are there any clubs or groups nearby me. How can people like me who are interested in underwater rovs but aren't ready to spend thousands of dollars right away get some time playing with these products?

Hi! Thanks for your question. There is water water everywhere, and we have units deployed in many places around the world. We also travel a great deal with our products and would be delighted to give hands on to anyone nearby. Just let us know where you are and we will see what we can do to get you piloting.

Follow up question:

How does the drone handle brackish, dark water. For example a Florida swamp or search through say industrial pipes?

Hi great question, it performs quite well, about as well as a divers eyes do. It has an HD camera with LED lights. Here's proof of the visibility in a murky storm water pipe in Tampa, Florida. Bonus, they also encountered an alligator. Proof: https://youtu.be/a4ABs7oPHwk

That was pretty cool.

Thank you for the kind comment :) I had goose bumps the entire time I watched that inspection. (which by the way lasted 30 minutes) The alligator would not move!

One time /u/sourcreamwater was out at the beach gettin his swole on and stuff then his friend /u/wookiepubes was there surfing, and then wookiepubes saw sourcream pull into an epic barrel and dropped his wallet into the ocean off of Kauai. DeepTrekker could have saved the day!

Wish we were there to help! We've recovered a couple lost cell phones and wallets for people when we are out with our Deep Trekker! Next time, call us for help! ~Amanda

What is the coolest thing you have ever seen/encountered underwater?

Personally I've found a lot of garbage and invasive species sadly. Not cool but important! I have found dishes and items from an unknown wreck in Lake Huron. Friends of mine found an alligator in a pipe! Another friend found a German motorcycle which lead to the discovery of the Rio de Janeiro German warship!

Have your underwater drones ever been part of an underwater treasure hunt?

I haven't heard of any groups using our underwater drones as part of an underwater treasure hunt. I'm imagining something like an Easter egg hunt, which sounds like A LOT of fun. I think you just found my next dinner party event! Thank you :) We have sold many underwater drones to people interested in searching and exploring ship wrecks. I recently sold one to an older gentleman that wasn't able to dive anymore, and had a lot of great stories of gold coins he found in his day. He now has our 'Worker' package that has a grabber arm on it, so he's out searching for his coins again :) The most exciting find was recently our underwater drone discovered the famous 'Rio De Janeiro' off the coast of Norway.

What's the famous Rio De Janeiro?

Rio De Janeiro was a German warship that was sunk by a Polish submarine off the coast of Norway, the day before the Germans invaded Norway

How portable are the units, and how quickly can they be transported to a site? Say for example a local police department has one and they need to get to a lake. Disregarding travel time, what would the mobilization look like?

Thanks for your question! Portability is one of the best parts of our underwater drones, from the moment you open up the carrying case to starting to explore underwater is less than 30 seconds. Everything you need is in 1 carrying case, that one person can carrying themselves. So to mobilize.. 1. Open case 2. Grab the hand held controller. 3. Take out the underwater drone (about the size of a basketball) 4. Turn on the underwater drone with the controller 5. Place it in the water Here's proof: https://youtu.be/sk2WAuLyZD4

2 years ago I came up with a drone that you could bring hiking. and kind of like a flare gun, you'd release the drone to fly at a specific height, initiate a satellite connection and relay onboard GPS information to get the help you need. I had the parts, tested each part individually.

I knew how they would interact, I knew who would buy it, who my vendors would be, what language it would be programmed in and ultimately started organizing a crowd funding campaign. To date I have never been more excited about something in my life.

Eventually, the project failed because I couldn't find the talent to create the program that transmitted serial data to from GPS to satellite telemetry. Just like that I was deflated, and I gave up.

My question, how did you get to the prototype? If you had any advice, specifically in the ROV/UAV industry, how do you find talent to make up for technical shortcomings?

The parts are still sitting in a box somewhere, if you answer this question I just might be able to get back on track.

I was super lucky, and met an extremely smart engineer who had made and ROV as his college project 10 years prior. He is responsible for the design of the Deep Trekkers, and co-founder and partner in Deep Trekker. Attending tech events, startup events and getting to know the programs at your local schools are great ways to to meet engineers who may want to partner with you.

Have you considered exploring the lochs in Scotland (esp. Loch Ness) with one of these? Might prove the existence of live plesiosaurs, or at the very least the underwater caves that are thought to exist.

Totally on my bucket list!! Though I try to be as logical as I can in my life, the unknown and the legends of the deep get me every time. ~sam

Would it be possible to take water samples and use measurement devices attached to the drone? Will there be add-ons in the future?

Definitely! Right now we have a sediment sampler, water sampler, and a laser scaler (to estimate size) available for our underwater drones. The two-function grabber arm on the "Worker" model can also pickup objects. The grabber arm itself can hold onto 70lbs of in water weight, then you can bring the object and the underwater drone back up to the surface together using the tether/cord... What other sort of measurement devices would be interesting for you?

Hello! I have two questions: 1. What was to biggest engineering challenge you overcame to create and build your underwater drone? 2. Did you ever find that lost flashlight?

Thanks for your questions!! There were many challenges including where to put the batteries and management of power. We had some fun creative meetings regarding how to make things work and be the best for our eventual customers. The flashlight is still down there!!

What kind of government regulations come with operating rov and drones in the water? As well, does your drone have any impact on local fish populations/biology?

Unlike aerial drones, there aren't any government regulations as to where and how you can operate underwater drones or ROVs. In the shipping industry there are regulations surrounding the hull inspections that need be completed regularly, and are often done with an ROV. In this case the operator of the ROV needs to be approved by the governing body ex: ABS in order to perform the inspection. To your other question, our drone doesn't have any impact on the local fish populations, most of the time the fish come right up to the camera, curious to say hi to their new visitor. Our underwater drones do a lot of work in environmental research to monitor the impacts of pollution etc. Hope this helps :)

I went to your website to see if you answered my question already, but it appears to have received the reddit hug of death. I was going to ask about the cords. Are the cords necessary for operation/power, or are they there to prevent the loss of an expensive piece of equipment? Do remote control signals get sketchy under water?

So sorry about the web! We are of course working on it feverishly! The tether is definitely useful for pulling the ROV back if you lose it, but they it contains two to eight pairs of wire for communication and video. Unfortunately radio waves don't work so well underwater but we are keeping up on the latest "wireless" underwater technology! Someday!

What kind of requirements would you have for a viable wireless technology? I mean things like range, data speed, and anything else that comes to mind.

The technology being investigated surrounds sonar or sound waves and some laser technology. Mostly it's the rich video signal that is most problematic; the wavelength required is just too short to travel well through water

Does Deep Trekker have plans for future development into fields other than that of commercial or search and rescue (environmental conservation for instance?)

We already have many units working in environmental research and pursuits. We have integrated several sampling technologies for various institutions, and even have units working on the Lion Fish invasion problem.

How many employees are there now? Are you hiring?

We are 21 strong, and always looking for smart, energetic people to join our team. Even if we don't have the perfect role right now, we are growing like crazy, and likely will in the future!

Assuming I can find an email when your website is back up, who can I address a cover letter to?

Hi! Engineering and Production, Jeff Lotz and Sean Phillips. All else is me, Sam Macdonald

I am usually a lurker on here, but I had to come in and ask you guys. Do you have a version of this that I can buy for when I am on my boat? I am very impressed with your products!

Absolutely!! We designed it with boaters in mind (this is Sam). I have my own boat, a little guy at only 23 ft. and designed it to be used easily without the need for power, internet, smartphones, or anything else on board!

It seems almost unrealistic that your units can be as cheap as they are, considering other underwater ROV options out there. What have you done to allow for affordable pricing in such a financially demanding market? Is there a quality difference that parallels the price difference? Also, you told us that you (Sam) are the president, what position does Amanda hold in your company?

Awesome question. We work very very (very!) hard on keeping quality high while keeping costs low by maintaining great relationships with our suppliers, ensuring the most efficient manufacturing when we are designing, and watching the pennies. We have a quality program with over 250 quality check points, and each unit is hand built. We aren't trying to "get rich quick" and instead want to put an amazing ROV or UW drone into the hands of people who want and need one. We are truly in business for the love of what we do. Amanda is our amazing Marketing Manager, but does so much more, as we are a small company!

This is quite a unique idea. What will the resolution of the video be. Can these drones be controlled by iPhones and Android phones?

Thanks so much :) Just to be clear, it's not just an idea, we've been producing the Deep Trekker DTG2 for nearly 5 years, and have full production shop, with deliveries to over 70 countries. The camera is 700TVL with a 4k Ultra HD system option. We wanted to keep it simple, so we have a gaming style controller for control. The signal can be pushed to wireless devices with a plug-in device. We've successfully tested, and may launch if we see a demand.

Thanks for doing this AMA!

What are some of the most requested features or options on the ROV's that you build? Is each one purpose built? Or it a more modular system with attachments, etc that can be replaced?

Great question!! We have added many things to the ROV, and some have become product we offer commercially. The grabber arm is really popular, as it's extremely useful for retrieving items or placing items underwater. Environmentalists like our sampling equipment, and the NDT testing add ons have been picking up interest in infrastructure such as potable water. With two mounting surfaces on the DTG2, and 6 on the DTX2, we can build a lot of different "flavours" of ROVs

Thanks for answering! Quick follow up - how large is the current team and are there any plans for expansion?

Do you plan on creating ROV's that float in a stationary GPS position using minimal propulsion and solar power? I ask because I'm working on some fog network sensors that could have some pretty cool applications underwater as well and I'm curious to see what parameters individuals are measuring.

We are currently 21 wicked smart folks, and growing. We are consistently launching new products and pushing innovation limits. your fog network sensors sound interesting! It would be great to chat about some ideas

How long did it take you guys to develop the product?

From initial drawings and sketches to a shipped product was approximately 22 months if I did the math right :) ~sam

What are some of the top use cases for your ROVs?

We have units being used in fish farming, underwater archaeology, water infrastructure inspection, power plant infrastructure inspection, environmental monitoring, police and search and rescue, port security and hull inspection (looking for contraband), tournament fishing, underwater filming, wreck hunting... so many, so much!

How many ROV pilots are there in the world?

Wow, I'm not sure!! ROV Career estimates a range from between 1500-2500 worldwide. The data is likely quoting about trained ROV pilots who attend school to learn how to pilot large ROVs. Deep Trekker ROVs don't require that type of training so pilots of our products aren't likely included in the statistics

What else can we do as a community to help you guys gain exposure? Y'all seem awesome, and your products are really cool!

WOW! Thank you so much! We sincerely appreciate your offer. The more people know that Deep Trekker exists so that anyone can explore the oceans, the better! Sharing, blogging, commenting, all spread the word to those who may now go out and start exploring, or have a commercial application they need help with. Of course Follow Us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DeepTrekker/ for the latest updates and continue the conversations at our blog: http://www.deeptrekker.com/blog/ Thanks again!

What type of degree(or any degree at all) would you recommend to someone looking to build awesome things like you guys/gals?

Hi there! If you are looking to develop new products, a degree or diploma in mechatronics, mechanical, or electrical engineering will help. A solid background in general "how stuff works" will supplement any degree. Take your general interest and tear some stuff apart!

Why is your website down?

/u/deeptrekker

Seriously, did you get the ole hug of death?

Sorry for our servers going down before, Everything is good now, check us out here: http://www.deeptrekker.com/

Someone is out to get me!

I think it's all good now :)

Wow you guys have overloaded our servers we are looking into it, we are back up and running now! We appreciate all the love, keep the questions coming!

I got to this late but I still have some questions!

Have you done a anything with the Mate competition? I've competed with my university and have built my fair share of ROVs. Our last competition was actually in St. John's, Newfoundland!

How do you see yourself fitting in the market, competing with existing companies like Video Ray and Seabotix or even hobbyist level ROVs like OpenRov or Blue Robotics? Not bashing you out anything just curious to hear what your opinions are! :)

Do you buy your thrusters or are they designed in house?

Any thoughts on cameras? I'm sick and tired of using the 700 TVL cameras even if they are simple to use. Video quality is just not that great! Although it surprises me that its still the standard on even FMCs ups truck sized ROVs.

Great questions! We are not currently involved with mate, but I am definitely interested; up until now I just haven't had time in the schedule! Great program however. We provide a very robust, commercial unit that can handle external sensors and advanced technology, but in a fully portable and affordable package. We designed our own thrusters. 700TVL is the standard as it offers a good quality analogue option that can be transferred over long distances. We are currently working on no less than 3 different, alternative technologies. Keep watching! :)

Seriously though, how bad is that Jmo guy? Always feeding like a noob.

I've met him, and he is a pretty good guy. Plus, Amanda likes him and she's pretty awesome!

~sam

How many knots can your ROV's work/travel in without being swept away?

Great question!! Our DTG2 can travel up to 2.5kt while the DTX2 can push through 3.5kt. It's important to understand that even if an ROV can 'drive' a certain speed, there are a number of factors to consider, including the shape of the ROV and the direction of the current. For example, if you have current coming from the side or below, the design of the ROV is very important to allow water to flow around it, as opposed to pushing on a flat surface.

Is there a drone that has been thorough so much it shouldn't have continued working, but did?

Great question. Sometimes I see Deep Trekkers that look like they have been through war! Our customers use them hard, and we couldn't be happier when they take a beating and keep on going. I once got mine stuck (doing things I should not have been doing!!!) and had to leave it underwater for a month. It was in a hydro channel with screaming current, so I couldn't go get it until the flow was cut. After a month of being bashed on rocks, we got it back. We didn't even charge it, simply put the controller on and fired it up. It became almost a pet to me, I was so proud of it. We don't recommend this kind of abuse but it's pretty cool that they stand up to it.

That's awesome! What kind of protection against things such as bashes and prolonged exposure to water do your drones have?

Our drones are made out of die-cast aluminum, not plastic so they are tough! We anodize and powder-coat the aluminum so it won't corrode in salt or harsh waters. The spherical shape also helps out a lot when working in currents.

Wow you guys have overloaded our servers we are looking into it! We appreciate all the love, keep the questions coming!! We are back up and running. Thanks again for being awesome!

How do you guys feel you compare to other products on the market. Why would I look to your company instead of others?

Thanks for asking :) We are definitely different than other ROVs and have some advantages, while other ROVs have different advantages. We stand out in simplicity and portability, with a truly no-hassle deployment in less than 30 seconds. No additional equipment is required to perform a high quality inspection or exciting exploration. We also stand out in durability and maneuverability, being able to use full thruster power on ascent and descents. Because of our pitching system, we can orient the ROV in an vertical angle, allowing us to easily enter confined spaces through a vertical, horizontal, or any angle entrance way. The 270 degree camera sweep is also pretty cool, allowing pilots to see what is directly above and below the ROV. Ok, now I'm sounding like a commercial!! One thing I'm particularly proud of is our customer service. Our customers mean the world to us, and we've done intense things to make sure they are happy, including getting on a last minute flight to help with a particularly difficult inspection that required a seasoned pilot. After hours the service phone often goes right to the cell phone of one of the partners, and I've been known to answer at 3am on more than a few occasions. I've never worked with a team of people as dedicated as the Deep Trekker team... Every single one of our folks is wicked focused on customer happiness!

Hey guys, we had to take off after 5pm EST, but please continue to ask us any and all questions you have, and we will get to all your questions throughout the next few days.