Gladius submersible underwater drone Review

by spotmydive

Underwater drones are the main curiosity of the year. Spotmydive had the chance to test one for you, the Gladius from Chasing Innovation.

Check our article on the 10 best underwater drone

The Gladius underwater drone we received was the most performing from the brand. Equipped with a 4K camera, a 64 GB memory card and 2,400 lumens LED headlights, this model can reach 100 meters deep.

Technical specifications

  • Sizes : 43.2*27*11.4cm
  • Weights : 3.2kg
  • Max Depth : 100m
  • Temperature resistance : -10°C to 45°C
  • Max Speed : 2m/s
  • Battery : 1h to 4h30

Getting started with the Gladius submarine drone

Set up the Gladius ROV is relatively simple and fast. You won’t need any special knowledge about drones. Connect the drone to its cable, connect to the wifi, then plug your phone or tablet into the controller and you’re ready to go. Great tips for you, prepare a small screwdrive, you wiill need it if you want to change the weight to switch from fresh water or in salt water.

Navigation

We are not expert and were anxious before driving the drone. The surprise was total, piloting the Gladius was as easy as driving a remote-controlled car for children. Thus, this is wht the drone end up in children hands. Children from 7 to 12 years had absolutely no problem to control it.

Thanks to its 4 propellers 2 on the back and 2 on the top of the unit, the Gladius is extremely stable. The controller shows you live all the information you need: depth, battery, 3D modeling, return images, water temperature, compass etc. To be completely honest, the Gladius is easy to use even against current or in between waves.

Video quality

The main goal of the Gladius is to capture underwater photos and movies. It has a very good camera that can shoot in 12 megapixels and 4K at 30 FPS or 1080p at 60 frames per second.

You must know that our first try was not great, we needed time to master the devise and understand how to shoot great sequences. If you are a social media addict, good news for you, you can stream all your underwater adventures live Facebook, Instagram etc..

Autonomy

On this point, there is nothing to say because everything is consistent with who is expected. The announced autonomy is 3 hours and a half for only 1 hour and a half of charge. We never ran out of battery.

Lights

As you already know, the deeper the dive, the more colors disappear. Thanks to its 2 LED projectors of 1200 lumens each, the Gladius compensates very well this phenomenon and will enlight the seabed at night.

A wired drone

Yes, the Gladius is an ROV and not a drone. The link between the station and the drone is made via a neutral buoyancy cable of 100 meters. The designers of Gladius had a great idea, the station floats! The cable seems very resistant and can, it seems, withstand pressures of 100 kilos.

Carrying

Of course the Gladius is larger than the last generation of aerial drones, but it comes in a very practical carrying case. The drone fits in a backpack and the winder in a very small briefcase that can be held with one hand. The total weight does not exceed 5 kilos.

What is the Gladius’ price?

You will find the Gladius online at 1 999€ TTC

Pros

  • No pre-sale, already possible to buy it online
  • Easy to carry
  • Easy to control
  • The price
  • Easy to set up
  • Great battery
  • Video on the controller
  • Lights

Cons

  • Not easy to frame your video at first
  • Wired

The Gladius worth to buy?

Before testing the Gladius we were not to enthusiast, thinking we were going to test another underwater gadget. And, finally, we loved it. We already imagined everything he could bring us in our daily work. One can even imagine that it can be substituted for an underwater photographer in certain cases or for a diver check the hull of his boat etc.
If you hesitate before buying it, do not hesitate!