The Surf and Turf of Drones
- quzion9
- Oct 5
- 2 min read
Written by Isaac Lee
October 5th, 2025
Drones are growing into one of the most important technologies worldwide. In fact, drones are expanding beyond the skies into the domains of the ocean and land. Drones, although not flying, are defined as anything that flies while being remotely controlled. However, some unmanned technology on the ocean and land are named as drones. From early creations to today’s advanced drones, the surf and turf drones highlight how drone technology expands beyond the skies.
History of Ocean and Land Drones
Without a clear definition, it is difficult to determine the very first instance of either an ocean or land drone. Built in the early 20th century, Spanish engineer Leonardo Torres Quevedo created this radio system that was tested on a tricycle (artsandculture.google.com). This was the first recorded instance of an unmanned ground vehicle. Although there isn’t a clear starting point, this unmanned system proves to be one of the key features of a drone system.
On the other hand, the aquatic or ocean drones developed much later as underwater vehicles typically were manned directly. However, the first autonomous vehicle underwater seems to be the Self-Propelled Underwater Research Vehicle (SPURV). Built in 1957 in an applied physics lab, the SPURV was funded by the government for research on the ocean. This device works completely submerged underwater, serving as the first of many autonomous ocean research vehicles.
“Telekino” - Built by Leonardo Torres Quevedo
Modern Surf and Turf Drones
On land, drones have evolved to be not just faster but also smarter. Instead of purely functioning for remote control like the first land drone, these modern land drones focus on various industries such as agriculture, delivery, and possibly even search-and-rescue. For instance, BoniRob is an unmanned land drone that holds a myriad of tasks in the farm: levels of soil and fertilizer, harmful weeds, and pest infestations (linx-global.com). In fact, it doesn’t even use chemicals, which benefits not only the environment but also farm owners for not spending money on pesticides.
Similarly, aquatic drones include a variety of functions beyond simply ocean research. Some aquatic drones have the ability to monitor the environment for harmful accidents such as oil spills. Recreationally, these drones can also provide enjoyment to any consumer wishing to film the world underneath the waters. Although aquatic drones may be the slower innovation in comparison to the land and air drones, they still are providing new mediums to explore the ocean.
Conclusion
Drones continue to allow humanity to discover frontiers that are inaccessible to the normal human. Although society traverses the land, these unmanned land vehicles can help discover the previously inaccessible caverns and rugged terrain. Similarly, the ocean, lying nearly untouched, can be understood more by scientists through these unmanned aquatic drones. All in all, these drones through three domains can further humanity’s understanding of the world.
Sources:
https://linx-global.com/blog/2017/10/17/an-agricultural-weed-killing-robot-that-doesnt-use-chemicals
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