OpenROV → Sofar Ocean (USA) OpenROV / Sofar Trident (1)

Was $1,695 (2019)Sofar store price in 2019; 100 m tether $295 extra; Kickstarter raised $679,968 from 1,118 backers by Oct 23, 2015 (mid-campaign snapshot)

Discontinued · used/leftover onlyNot programmableKickstarterGlider-like hull2 m/sWi-Fi buoy

Weeks+Shipping: Used only. Discontinued; eBay US shows occasional Trident listings (one unit at $1,600 in September 2026) plus tethers, controllers and other parts.

Remote control: Not possible officially. Sofar's FAQ lists only the Android app (Android 5.1+) or its dedicated controller, both linked through the Wi-Fi buoy; the hardware was billed as open source for custom payloads, but no laptop API was offered.

Kickstarter ↗Sofar product page (archive) ↗OpenROV (Wikipedia) ↗

Overview

OpenROV's ready-to-dive successor to its DIY kits, funded on Kickstarter in 2015 and later sold by Sofar Ocean for $1,695. Its fast, glider-like hull could 'fly' at 2 m/s for long transects instead of hovering like a boxy ROV. The model is discontinued, and Sofar's Trident store page now redirects.

Specifications

Category	Swimming robots · Developer & research ROVs/AUVs
Released	2015
Availability	Discontinued · used/leftover only
Programmability	No SDK, app / visual programming only
Best for	Ages 16+ (estimated)
Vision sensors	Camera
Actuators	Unknown
Audio	No audio
Compute type	Proprietary / undisclosed
Remote control	Not programmable
Size	41 cm (16.1 in) long, 3.4 kg (7.5 lb) total (Sofar spec)
Propulsion	Thrusters in a streamlined 'airplane-like' hull with an off-center vertical thruster
Depth rating	100 m
Tether / comms	25 m standard (100 m optional) neutrally buoyant, Kevlar-reinforced tether to a towable Wi-Fi buoy
Camera	1080p30 recorded, 720p30 live; sapphire lens; LEDs
Sensors	Depth and heading sensors (unverified)
Runtime	About 3 h drive time (LiFePO4)
Speed	2 m/s
Compute	Not published
SDK	None official; Android app (OpenROV/Sofar app)