Coming Soon ... Dec 6, '19

A recent Kickstarter campaign by ROV maker Chasing Innovation featured their newest — and smallest — ROV model yet, the Chasing Dory. This unit was less than half the price of other models, owing mostly to its smaller size and design considerations that reduced its engineering requirements.

Instead of a 300-foot depth like other consumer ROVs, its tether cable limits it to depths of 49 feet. Speaking of the tether, in a nod to the fun-size design for the Dory, it attaches to a floating WiFi buoy. When going to use the Dory, you toss the buoy and the Dory and the entire tether into the water. It just floats there, like a bobber.

Chasing is an established company with multiple ROV models already in their catalog, so I felt enough confidence to get in on the kickstarter. I didn't go for the Backpack reward level. I have my own ideas for how I want to carry it, so a backpack wasn't necessary.

My unit arrived today. I'll be uploading a series of videos documenting the experience and highlighting what it's like to use this tiny ROV. For now, though, here's a teaser image:

Published: December 6, 2019