The Técnico alumnus André Tristany Farinha is part of the team from Aerial Robotics Lab, at Imperial College London, that built AquaMAV – the drone that seems a “flying fish” and can jump out of water at high speed. The drone “creates so much force it can even propel itself out of choppy waters”, says André Tristany Farinha. The scientists behind AquaMAV presented their findings in a paper published in Science Robotics.

The AquaMAV combines combustible power and water in order to propel itself. The drone contains calcium carbide powder. When mixed with water, the drone creates acetylene gas, which then gets funneled into a combustion chamber along with air and water. When ignited, the mixture then explodes, forcing the water out of the combustion chamber and propelling the drone into air. AquaMAV weighs just 160 grams and can generate a force 25 times its weight, giving it a greater chance of overcoming waves in rough conditions.

“The drone can be used after natural disasters such as tsunamis or major storms and to collect water samples during natural disasters such as floods”, says the Técnico alumnus. “Recently I have been trying to use these drones in data collection for environmental studies, such as to determine coral reef health or the composition of contaminated waters by algae blooms”, he shares.

The Aerial Robotics Lab team tested the robot in a lab, on a lake and in a wave tank, showing its ability to escape from the water surface, even under relatively complex scenarios.

After finishing his MSc degree in Mechanical Engineering at Técnico, André Tristany Farinha went to Belgium and there he became interested in research. A friend told him about the Aerial Robotics Lab at Imperial College of London and he decided to apply. “During the course I was very much involved in an engineering students project – PSEM – and I think that it helped me to stand out among other applicants”, says the Técnico alumnus.