It was two years ago that we first heard about the Trident, an underwater scooter made by Chinese startup Geneinno. The company has now released a cheaper, more portable model, known as the Geneinno S2.
To recap our previous coverage, the Trident (now called the Geneinno S1) is designed to pull swimmers, snorkelers or scuba divers along underwater, utilizing two electrically-powered propellers that deliver a total of 12 kg (26 lb) of thrust. It can descend to a maximum depth of 50 m (164 ft), taking its user to their choice of two set speeds – 3.6 or 7 km/h (2.2 or 4.3 mph). One 1.5-hour charge of its lithium battery pack should be good for a claimed one hour of use.
By contrast, the S2's two 350-watt motors put out 10 kg (22 lb) of thrust, it bottoms out at 30 m (98 ft), offers speeds of 3.2 or 4.3 km/h (2 or 2.7 mph), and reportedly runs for 45 minutes per charge. It's also smaller, 800 grams (1.8 lb) lighter – with a total weight of 2.7 kg (5.9 lb) – and at US$399 is much less expensive than the $689 S1.
Users monitor factors such as the current speed, depth and battery level via an iOS/Android app, which means they'll need an underwater housing for their smartphone. That app also includes a parental control feature, allowing parents to remotely stop the S2 as their children are using it near the surface of an adjacent swimming pool.
Underwater adventures can be recorded with help from a built-in GoPro-compatible mount. And as an added bonus, because the S2's 97-Wh battery is below the 100-Wh allowable limit, the scooter can be taken aboard airliners as luggage.
The Geneinno S2 can be seen in action, in the video below.
Source: Geneinno
