A biomimetic seahorse-shaped underwater ROV that scouts ahead for anglers. Dual fisheye stereo cameras stream immersive VR180 video to your headset or phone — look around freely through the seahorse's eyes. A parallel depth pipeline maps underwater structure and locates fish. Designed for both freshwater and saltwater, boat and shore deployment.
You're at the bank of a river. Pull the seahorse from your pack, power it on, toss it in. It rights itself and you're underwater — 180° VR vision through the seahorse's eyes on your headset or phone. Look around freely: bottom structure, drop-offs, submerged logs, weed beds, and actual fish. Meanwhile the depth pipeline maps everything in 3D behind the scenes. Steer it upstream, find a deep pool behind a boulder with fish holding, mark the GPS spot, recall the seahorse, and start casting to that exact position. Works from a boat too — drop it over the side and let it scout the area before you anchor up.
Interactive — drag to rotate, scroll to zoom, right-click to pan.
The segmented body is a modular platform. The L-shaped plates, spine channel, joint system, and servo fin mount are identical across Mini/Scout/Pro. You're just snapping together more or fewer segments. Sprint takes the same seahorse body and adds a rigid hydrodynamic fairing + jet drive. Torpedo is a separate product line — rigid torpedo body, shared electronics DNA.
Upgrade path: A Mini buyer who gets hooked can literally buy more segments, a bigger battery, and additional fin rays to upgrade to a Scout. That's a retention model DJI doesn't have — their products are separate platforms. Yours are the same platform at different scales.
NIR stealth vision across all tiers. Every tier ships with 940nm IR LEDs + NoIR cameras. Fish can't see 940nm light — the seahorse observes in complete stealth. Night fishing, murky water, dawn/dusk — NIR sees through it all. "The seahorse sees what fish can't see."
Use: Wade fisherman. Peek under a cut bank, check a pool. Single fisheye — 360° mono VR look-around on your phone. NIR stealth mode for night/murky water. Fits in a vest pocket. The gateway product.
Est. ~$150–200
Use: Boat + shore angler. Dual fisheye VR180 stereo — immersive underwater vision + depth mapping. NIR stealth mode sees fish without spooking them. Map structure, anchor and observe, mark waypoints. This is MVP 1.
Est. ~$350–450
Use: Guide, tournament angler. Dual fisheye VR180 + ML fish detection. NIR stealth gives unbiased fish observation day or night. Transit a kilometer, scout multiple spots, long-duration patrol. The serious tool.
Est. ~$700–1000
Speed scaling follows a biomimetic pattern: slow = camera-first, medium = camera + sonar, fast = sonar-first. Like how seahorses use eyes, dolphins use eyes + echolocation, and sperm whales dive on sonar alone.
FAIRED SEAHORSE — SAME PRODUCT FAMILY
Use: Rapid area survey, reef patrol, search & recovery. Still recognizably a seahorse silhouette, but streamlined. Global shutter eliminates motion blur at speed. Sonar sees obstacles 50m out — camera alone is useless in turbid water at 10 m/s. Recorded video (no live VR at speed).
Est. ~$2,000–3,000
SEPARATE PRODUCT — SHARED ELECTRONICS DNA
Use: Research, defense, extreme survey. At 72 m/s, the vehicle operates inside a gas bubble — cameras see through the cavity boundary (distorted). Navigation is sonar + inertial. Camera activates when vehicle decelerates to conventional speed for target identification. Born from the Seahorse platform — same vision stack heritage, same compute architecture.
Est. ~$15,000–30,000
This diagram shows the Mini/Scout/Pro pipeline (0.1–1 m/s). At higher tiers, the vision stack fundamentally changes:
The seahorse's dorsal fin oscillates at up to 35Hz in nature. We replicate this with a series of servo-driven fin rays running along the dorsal (top) ridge of the body. A sine wave propagates down the array — the frequency controls speed, amplitude controls power, and wave direction controls forward/reverse.
This is genuinely silent propulsion. Traditional thrusters create pressure waves that fish detect through their lateral line from meters away. An undulating fin mimics the movement of actual marine life and produces minimal turbulence. This is arguably the product's biggest competitive advantage over conventional ROVs.
MVP 1: Manual adjustable ballast weights. Velcro-mounted lead/steel weights on the underside. Swap weight amounts when switching salt ↔ fresh. Simple, reliable, no moving parts.
Future: Active buoyancy engine. Small syringe pump in the mid segment — push water into a bladder to sink, push it out to rise. Automated depth hold. Auto-compensates for salt vs fresh density difference (~2.5% buoyancy shift).
The seahorse's tail is its anchor. It wraps around coral, seaweed, or structure and holds position with zero energy expenditure. We replicate this with a tendon-driven curling mechanism — one servo, two cables, and the segmented tail curls like the real thing.
This solves the biggest energy problem in patrol mode: holding position in current. Instead of burning battery fighting drift, the tail grips structure and the entire propulsion system shuts down. Combined with energy harvesting, the ROV can potentially run energy-positive in patrol mode — harvesting more than it consumes.
Phase 1 focuses on validating stereo underwater vision. Waterproofing is minimal — acrylic tube or dry bag enclosure. No custom PCB. Off-the-shelf components on a dev platform. Get it in the water fast, prove the cameras work, iterate from there.
| Component | Qty | Est. |
|---|---|---|
|
Raspberry Pi 5 (4GB)
Dual CSI-2, Cortex-A76 quad, native stereo camera support
|
1 | $60 |
|
RPi Camera Module v2 NoIR (IMX219)
8MP, no IR filter. Side-mounted in eye sockets with dome viewports. NoIR variant enables 940nm stealth vision.
|
2 | $50 |
|
Fisheye Lens Adapter (M12 mount, 190°+)
Wide-angle fisheye for VR180 panoramic capture. Replaces stock lens on IMX219 board.
|
2 | $15 |
|
CSI-2 Adapter Cable (22→15 pin)
Pi 5 uses 22-pin, camera modules are 15-pin
|
2 | $6 |
|
940nm IR LED Ring
4-8x 940nm LEDs per eye socket, surrounding dome viewport. Invisible to fish (vision cuts off ~800nm). 2-5m stealth illumination range. Based on iFO open-source fish observation project.
|
2 | $5 |
|
MicroSD Card (64GB, A2/U3)
Fast read for stereo capture + video logging
|
1 | $12 |
| Component | Qty | Est. |
|---|---|---|
|
IMU — BNO085 or ICM-20948
9-DOF, orientation + heading. I2C. Critical for attitude underwater (no GPS)
|
1 | $20 |
|
Depth Sensor — MS5837-30BA
Pressure-based depth. I2C. Gel-filled, designed for ROVs. 0–30m range
|
1 | $25 |
|
Water Temp — DS18B20 (waterproof)
Stainless probe. Useful data for fish behavior. OneWire bus
|
1 | $4 |
| Component | Qty | Est. |
|---|---|---|
|
Micro Servos — MG90S or equivalent
Dorsal fin rays (6–8 servos), pectoral fins (2 servos). Metal gear, waterproofed with silicone or conformal coat
|
10 | $30 |
|
Servo Driver — PCA9685
16-channel PWM via I2C. Drives all fin servos from one bus
|
1 | $6 |
|
Fin Material — Silicone / TPU Sheet
Flexible membrane connecting fin rays. Cut to profile, glue to servo horns
|
1 | $10 |
| Component | Qty | Est. |
|---|---|---|
|
Tendon Curl Servo — MG90S
Single servo at tail base. Pulls dual braided cables through spine channel to curl/uncurl tail. Fail-safe: power off = slack = release.
|
1 | $3 |
|
Tendon Cable — Braided Dyneema/Spectra
0.5mm braided line. Two runs (curl + uncurl) through tail spine channel. High strength, near-zero stretch.
|
2m | $4 |
|
Grip Pads — Ridged TPU
Textured inner surface on last 5–6 tail segments. Micro-ribbed for wet grip on wood, rock, coral.
|
1 set | $3 |
|
Contact Sensor — FSR (Force Sensing Resistor)
Tail tip. Detects contact with structure to trigger grip tightening. Analog input to Pi GPIO.
|
1 | $3 |
| Component | Qty | Est. |
|---|---|---|
|
Flexible Solar Cells — 5V 200mA panels
Thin-film flex cells on dorsal surface between fin rays. ~0.5–1W total in good sun at 1–2m depth. Wired to charge controller.
|
2–3 | $15 |
|
Micro Hydro Turbine — 20–30mm
Integrated in tail segment. Water funnels through tapered tail, spins turbine. ~100–200mW in 0.3+ m/s current. DC generator output.
|
1 | $12 |
|
MPPT Charge Controller (micro)
Manages solar + turbine input, trickle charges LiPo. BQ25570 or similar ultra-low-power harvester IC.
|
1 | $8 |
| Component | Qty | Est. |
|---|---|---|
|
2S LiPo Battery (7.4V, 2200mAh)
Compact, good energy density for servos + Pi
|
1 | $18 |
|
BEC — 5V 3A + 6V Servo Rail
Dual output: 5V for Pi, 6V for servo rail
|
1 | $8 |
|
Tether Cable — Cat5e or USB3 (thin)
30–50m. Ethernet for video stream + control. Routes through spine channel. Neutral buoyancy preferred.
|
1 | $25 |
| Component | Qty | Est. |
|---|---|---|
|
Acrylic Tube — 90mm OD × 300mm
Clear tube, end caps with o-ring seals. Houses Pi + battery + sensors. BlueRobotics or similar.
|
1 | $40 |
|
Dome Viewports — Acrylic Hemisphere
Clear dome inserts for eye sockets. Houses fisheye lens FOV. O-ring sealed to head plate.
|
2 | $15 |
|
Cable Penetrators / Potted Bulkheads
Waterproof pass-throughs for camera ribbons, servo wires, tether. Epoxy-potted.
|
1 set | $20 |
|
Ballast Weights (lead/steel)
Adjustable trim. Different amounts for salt vs fresh. Velcro-mount to tube.
|
1 set | $10 |
ESTIMATED TOTAL — MVP 1 (core + NIR) |
~$362 | |
With energy harvesting (Scout+ tier) |
~$397 |
| Component | Qty | Est. |
|---|---|---|
|
Jetson Orin Nano (8GB)
GPU-accelerated ML stereo depth + sonar fusion at 120fps. Replaces Pi 5.
|
1 | $250 |
|
IMX296 Global Shutter Camera
1.6MP, 60fps native (120fps binned). No rolling shutter distortion at 10 m/s. Pi-compatible CSI-2.
|
2 | $100 |
|
Forward-Looking Sonar
Ping360 or similar. Obstacle detection at 20-50m. Camera useless in turbid water at speed.
|
1 | $300 |
|
24mm Water Jet Drive
Compact jet unit. Reversible. 10 m/s max. Fins lock/retract at speed.
|
1 | $80 |
|
INS/DVL Navigation Module
Inertial + Doppler velocity log. GPS-denied underwater navigation. Autonomous waypoints.
|
1 | $400 |
|
Rigid Hydrodynamic Fairing
Carbon fiber/fiberglass shell over seahorse segments. Faired flush dome viewport. Smooth profile for speed.
|
1 | $200 |
|
940nm NIR Flood + Spot Array
High-power NIR for observation during deceleration phase. Extended range.
|
1 | $15 |
| Component | Qty | Est. |
|---|---|---|
|
FPGA + Jetson Embedded Compute
Hardened for extreme environment. Real-time sonar processing. Same software stack heritage as Seahorse family.
|
1 | $800 |
|
Forward-Looking Active Sonar Array
100m+ range. Primary navigation at supercavitation speed. Multi-beam for terrain mapping.
|
1 | $2,000 |
|
Supercavitating Nose Cone (Cavitator)
Precision-machined cavitator disc. Generates gas envelope at 72+ m/s. Titanium or hardened steel.
|
1 | $1,500 |
|
Gas Turbine / Rocket Propulsion
High-thrust propulsion for supercavitation regime. Chemical propellant or high-discharge electric.
|
1 | $3,000 |
|
INS/DVL + Wire-Guide Navigation
Military-grade inertial navigation. Optional fiber-optic wire-guide for real-time control.
|
1 | $2,500 |
|
IMX296 Global Shutter (500fps burst)
Terminal identification camera. Activates on deceleration. 940nm NIR burst array for target ID.
|
1 | $50 |
|
Rigid Torpedo Body (50-80cm)
Carbon fiber pressure hull. Not seahorse-shaped. Hydrodynamic torpedo form. Pressure-rated.
|
1 | $2,000 |
The Raspberry Pi 5 gives us dual CSI-2 for synchronized stereo capture, enough compute for real-time depth mapping and VR streaming, and a full Linux stack for rapid iteration. No custom PCB needed for validation.
Side-mounted fisheye cameras mimic real seahorse eye placement. Each eye sits in a socket on the side of the head with a dome viewport housing a 190°+ fisheye lens. The wide FOV captures a VR180 stereo panorama — the user puts on a headset and is underwater, looking around freely through the seahorse's eyes. Meanwhile, the depth pipeline dewarps the central stereo region and computes disparity maps for structure identification. Dual pipeline: immersive VR experience + computed depth data. Based on PiCam360's VR streaming approach with 1/50× bandwidth compression.
The tether-first approach eliminates the hardest underwater problem — wireless comms. RF dies in water, acoustic is slow, optical is line-of-sight. A thin cable gives us full-bandwidth video + bidirectional control with zero latency. The tether runs through the spine channel, protected by the segmented body.
Undulating fin propulsion is silent and low-turbidity. Fish detect traditional thrusters through their lateral line organ from meters away. A wave-driven fin mimics natural fish movement and won't spook your targets.
Freshwater: Lower density (~1.0 g/cm³). ROV will be less buoyant — may need less ballast weight. No corrosion concern on most materials. Better visibility in lakes, worse in rivers with sediment.
Saltwater: Higher density (~1.025 g/cm³). More buoyant — add ballast to compensate. Corrosion on anything non-marine-grade. Use 316 SS or titanium fasteners, conformal coat all electronics, rinse after every use. Better visibility nearshore in calm conditions.
Ballast strategy: Adjustable ballast weights with Velcro mount for MVP 1. Swap weights when switching between salt and fresh. Future: active buoyancy engine (syringe pump) auto-compensates.
Inspired by McKittrick & Meyers' research at UC San Diego. The seahorse tail uses 36 square segments, each made of 4 L-shaped interlocking plates. The structure compresses to ~50% before permanent damage, protecting the spine. We apply the same principles to create a modular, impact-resistant, field-replaceable enclosure for the ROV electronics.
Ref: UCSD — Seahorse Armor Research · Acta Biomaterialia, 2013
The seahorse shape isn't cosmetic — it's functional camouflage. Side-mounted eyes are the key detail. Fish have evolved to recognize eye placement as friend-or-foe. Forward-facing eyes (cats, sharks, eagles) signal predator. Side-facing eyes (most fish, seahorses, herbivores) signal non-threat. By placing cameras on the sides of the head like a real seahorse, the ROV registers as fauna, not hunter. It gets closer to fish without triggering flight response — exactly what you need for a scouting tool.
The compact profile also means no protruding motor arms to snag on weeds, branches, or fishing line — common hazards in the exact structures where fish hold. The dome viewports for the fisheye lenses sit flush in the curved eye sockets — smooth hydrodynamic profile with minimal drag.
The combination of prehensile tail anchoring, solar harvesting, and water turbine generation fundamentally changes what this device is. It's not an ROV you use for 20 minutes. It's an autonomous underwater observation platform that can run for hours — potentially all day in the right conditions.
The key insight: anchored patrol mode draws dramatically less power than swimming. Propulsion is 60-70% of total energy budget. Eliminate it and you extend runtime 3-4x from battery alone. Add harvesting on top and the math gets very interesting.
6:00 AM — Deploy seahorse at a channel swing on a river. Thruster transit to submerged log jam 40m upstream. Tail anchors to a branch on the current-facing side.
6:05 AM–12:00 PM — Anchored patrol mode. Cameras at low frame rate duty cycle. Solar charging from morning sun. Turbine harvesting from river current. Logging water temp, depth, and video frames. When fish activity detected, switches to full-rate video and flags timestamp.
12:00 PM — Retrieve. You have 6 hours of data: fish activity heatmap (most active 7:15–8:30 AM), water temp curve (peaked at 18.2°C at 10 AM), and video clips of every fish that passed the structure. You now know exactly when and where to fish tomorrow.
No fish finder on the market provides this dataset.
WE ARE HERE