You’re standing on a dock, staring at a set of keys or a lost GoPro shimmering ten feet down in murky harbor water. It’s right there. But unless you’re keen on a cold, potentially dangerous swim, it might as well be on the moon. This is where most people start looking at the gladius mini underwater drone with claw and wondering if it’s actually a tool or just a high-priced toy.
Honestly, the answer depends on which version of "Mini" you’re talking about.
If you bought the original Gladius Mini—the sleek, gold-colored one that looks like a futuristic bionic fish—you might be disappointed to find it doesn’t natively support a powered claw. You’d be looking at third-party "mousetrap" style attachments that snap shut on contact. But the real game-changer is the Chasing Gladius Mini S. This is the rig that actually turned the consumer ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) into a functional underwater workhorse. It’s not just for pretty 4K videos anymore; it’s for actually grabbing stuff.
The Reality of Using a Robotic Arm Underwater
Driving an underwater drone is hard enough. Adding a claw makes it a test of patience.
Most people think you just fly down, click a button, and lift. In reality, every move the claw makes affects the drone's buoyancy and balance. When you extend that aluminum arm on a Gladius Mini S, you're shifting the center of gravity. Chasing Innovation, the manufacturer, tried to solve this by angling the claw mount at a 10-degree elevation. This sounds like a minor spec, but it’s huge. It keeps the "hand" from blocking the camera's view so you can actually see what you’re trying to grab.
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The official Grabber Claw B is a beefy little accessory. It’s made of aluminum alloy and offers about 7 kg (15.4 lbs) of gripping force. To put that in perspective, that’s enough to hold onto a heavy lead weight or a thick branch, but it’s not going to crush a soda can into scrap metal.
One thing that surprises new pilots: the drag force.
The claw can technically drag up to 12 kg (about 26 lbs) while the drone is moving. But remember, the drone itself only weighs about 6 lbs. If you try to pull something that’s snagged on the bottom, you’re more likely to pull the drone down than lift the object up. It’s a delicate dance of using the thrusters to create upward tension without burning out the motors.
Why the Mini S Changed the Game
The jump from the base Gladius Mini to the "S" version was basically Chasing admitting that people wanted to do more than just look at fish. They added a dedicated peripheral port. This is why the gladius mini underwater drone with claw setup usually refers to the S model.
- Anti-Stuck Motors: This is the unsexy feature that actually matters. If you’re using a claw, you’re likely near the bottom. The bottom has sand. Sand kills traditional ROV motors. The Mini S uses a patented "anti-stuck" design that handles grit way better than the original.
- Battery Life: The original Mini tapped out at 2 hours. The Mini S pushes that to 4 hours. Why does this matter for the claw? Because positioning a robotic arm in a current takes forever. You will spend 20 minutes just lining up a single grab.
- The Direct-Connect Remote: Older Wi-Fi-only connections were notoriously laggy. The newer setup allows you to plug your phone or tablet directly into the controller. When you’re trying to time a claw closure that takes 2.8 seconds, you can't afford a half-second of video lag.
Specs at a Glance (The Real Numbers)
It's easy to get lost in the marketing fluff. Here is what actually happens when you put this thing in the water. The drone itself hits a top speed of about 4 knots, but don't expect to maintain that with the claw attached. The extra weight and drag turn it into a much slower, more deliberate machine.
The camera is a 1/2.3 CMOS sensor. It’s good—really good in clear water—but it struggles in the "low-viz" environments where most search-and-recovery happens. You get two 1200-lumen LED lights to help out. They’re dimmable, which is key because if the water is silty, turning the lights to 100% just creates a blinding white wall of "backscatter." It’s like turning on high beams in a snowstorm.
What Most People Get Wrong About the "Claw"
There's a common misconception that the claw is a "set it and forget it" accessory.
It’s actually quite modular. You can adjust the clamping force through the Chasing GO2 app. This is vital if you're trying to pick up a biological sample—like a piece of coral or a specific shell—without pulverizing it. On the flip side, if you're retrieving a lost anchor, you'll want to crank that force to the max.
Also, it’s not just for grabbing. People use these arms for:
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- Stability: Hooking onto a pier piling to hold steady in a current while filming.
- Probing: Poking at things to see if they're solid or just mud.
- Cable Management: Moving the drone's own tether out of the way of a propeller (a literal lifesaver).
The Saltwater Tax
If you’re using your gladius mini underwater drone with claw in the ocean, you have to be obsessive about maintenance. Saltwater is the enemy of every moving part on this rig.
The claw has joints. The motors have bearings. After every single dive, you need to submerge the whole unit in a tub of fresh water and run the motors and the claw. If you just spray it with a hose, salt stays trapped in the crevices. In three months, your $400 robotic arm will be a very expensive paperweight.
There’s also the "tether snag" factor. When you have a claw attached, you have one more thing for the tether to get caught on. Expert pilots usually recommend keeping the claw retracted as much as possible until you're within a few feet of your target.
Is It Worth the Investment?
Let’s talk money. A full setup—the Gladius Mini S, the 100m or 200m tether, the backpack, and the robotic arm—is going to set you back somewhere between $1,500 and $1,900 depending on the bundle.
That’s a lot for a hobby, but it’s remarkably cheap for an ROV. Professional-grade "work" drones from brands like VideoRay or BlueRobotics can easily climb into the $5,000 to $20,000 range. The Chasing rig sits in that "prosumer" sweet spot. It’s capable enough for boat hull inspections, aquaculture check-ins, and light recovery work, but it’s portable enough to fit in a backpack.
If you just want to see what's under your boat, skip the claw. Save the $400.
But if you’re a treasure hunter, a scientific researcher, or someone who loses their gear overboard more than they’d like to admit, the claw is the only reason to buy this drone. Without it, you’re just a spectator. With it, you’re a participant.
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Actionable Next Steps for New Owners
If you just unboxed your Gladius and that claw is sitting on your desk, do not go to the lake yet.
First, set up a "training tank" at home. A bathtub or a clean trash can filled with water works perfectly. Practice picking up a golf ball or a set of keys. You need to learn how the drone's "pitch" changes when the claw opens and closes.
Secondly, check your firmware immediately. Chasing updates the app and the ROV frequently, and these updates often include critical fixes for motor calibration.
Finally, get a microSD card that is rated for 4K video (U3 or V30). The Mini S has a slot on the body now, unlike the original which recorded to a base station. This makes getting your "hero shot" of the claw grabbing the prize much easier, provided you don't use a cheap, slow card that drops frames.
Navigate slowly, rinse thoroughly, and always keep an eye on your battery percentage—especially when that claw is doing the heavy lifting.