AQUA

Background Problem: Even if you want to capture the thrilling moments of water sports such as surfing, yachting, and kayaking, it was difficult to try with existing drones because they are vulnerable to water. There is no suitable space to take off and land on the water, and there is a risk of the drone crashing even in slight waves or rain. In the end, to film water sports, a separate boat filming team or an action cam is attached to the body, but in this case, it is difficult to obtain a great video from the desired angle.

Limitations of Existing Methods: General drones are not waterproof and break down when they land in water, making them unsuitable for filming on water. Some waterproof drones are available, but they are large, heavy, and inconvenient to carry, and their auto-tracking function is inadequate. Action cams only capture the player's point of view and do not provide dynamic third-person perspective videos. Water sports enthusiasts want great aerial shots, but there is a lack of solutions unless they hire an expensive filming boat/drone team.

World's First Water Takeoff and Landing Drone: The AQUA drone is a floating drone designed to take off and land on its own while floating on water. The aircraft is IP67 rated fully waterproof and has a buoyancy structure on the surface so that it floats without sinking even if it falls into water. Therefore, users can send out the drone to film and call it back to land on the water even in the middle of the sea while surfing. This fundamentally solves the limitations of traditional drones in aquatic environments.

AI Auto-Tracking and Stabilization: This drone automatically tracks users doing water sports using a wearable beacon called Lighthouse and an RTK GPS system. Even if the waves obscure the view, it continues to identify the location with cm-level precision GPS tofollow without missing from the frame.. It also has the power and durability to cope with dynamic environments, flying stably even at a top speed of 55km/h and 7-level (60km/h) strong winds. AI vision and sensor fusion provide smooth third-person perspective video centered on the user, andhigh-speed shooting (4K 100fps)also allows you to capture slow-motion highlights.

Ease of Use and Portability: Designed to weigh less than 249g, it does not require FAA drone registration in the United States, and anyone can use it without burden. In addition, the folding/compact design allows you to carry it in one side of your surfing bag. You can preview and play videos on the 1.6-inch screen inside the aircraft without a smartphone, so you can check the results on the spot. About 10 automatic modes (including 'Snorkel mode', a mode specialized for underwater shooting) are provided, so you can obtain videos of various productions without complicated operation. Overall, the differentiation is that it implements *"an aerial camera that anyone can shoot in the water"*.

Purchase Decision Makers: Water sports enthusiasts such as surfers, kayakers, and sailors are direct consumers who purchase the product. In addition, marine leisure tourism companies (e.g., surfing schools, marine sports experience businesses) purchase it for customer filming, and professional creators such as marine documentary filming teams are also interested customers.

B2C/B2B/B2G Classification: B2C consumer drone. Although it is a drone, it is for general leisure use, so it is sold through electronic product retail channels or crowdfunding. In addition, for companies/organizations,tourism event (B2B)or for water safety monitoring,Coast Guard/Fire Department (B2G)There is room for use in, but the primary focus is on the consumer market.

Environmental/Regulatory Restrictions: Drone regulations are minimized with a weight of 249g, but flight restricted areas are still applied in each country. You should be aware of communication distance and battery safety when operating on water, but this can be covered by guidance. There are no special regulatory restrictions, and rather, it can pioneer the market while enjoying a competitive advantage as a waterproof drone.

Industry/Market Expansion: The water leisure population is steadily increasing worldwide, making it a niche but large enough market. The response was so good that more than $2 million was raised in the initial crowdfunding, and community formation was also successful. In the future,simultaneous flight performances (e.g., water drone shows)or environmental monitoring (water quality camera), etc. There is also potential for expansion into the B2B event market. Zero Zero Robotics has had previous success with portable selfie drones and has marketing/distribution networks, so the global market entry of this product is expected to be smooth. However, in the overall drone market, it is a special purpose for water sports, so there may be limitations to popularization as much as general shooting drones.

Innovation Award and Reaction: AQUA won the Innovation Award in the CES 2026 Drone & Imaging category, attracting the attention of the media and visitors with the freshness of *"a drone that lands on water"*. Major media outlets such as Tom's Guide and The Verge introduced the demo video and praised it as *"a product that will change the landscape of water sports filming"*. In particular, famous YouTubers (iJustine, etc.) visited the booth and reviewed it, which greatly increased online word-of-mouth.

Technological Completeness: It has already entered the crowdfunding and pre-order stage for mass production beyond the prototype, and the demonstration results confirmed that the auto-tracking and waterproof functions operate smoothly as advertised. Although there is room for detailed improvements such as tracking accuracy through beacons and waterproof microphone performance, it is generally well-received for its high product completeness and excellent user experience.

Market Expectations: The water sports community is responding with great enthusiasm, saying *"Now surfers can take great videos of themselves"*. Pre-orders are also active, and the initial quantity is expected to be sold out. From an investor's perspective, there is an atmosphere of expectation that Zero Zero Robotics will create a new revenue model following the success of its existing portable drones.

Overestimation/Underestimation Factors: Some say"the water sports population is limited"and that it should not be viewed too optimistically. In addition, as more real users increase, durability and salt corrosion issues when exposed to seawater for a long period of time will be key. However, so far, there is virtually no competition thanks to its unique concept, and there is little concern about overestimation as it is enjoying the first-mover advantage. Rather,Water Leisure DroneThere is also a view that it is underestimated compared to its innovation in that it has created a new category.