WAVEcopter is a fully waterproof multicopter frame constructed by an enthusiast mostly from readily available and cheap electrical parts. His reasons for building it were to gain a new perspective on surfing photography, do aerial surveying of event sites, and to satisfy his general fascination with robotics and aviation.
He rebuilt the copter after it suffered a serious collision into a cliff on the south coast of Cornwall, England. (thought to be a pilot error after relying too much on a GPS fix and moving the copter from its initial takeoff point) Although this was a serious collision — full throttle into a granite cliff face at about 60 feet — all of the electronics and camera equipment was unscathed. This was testament to the ruggedness of the airframe; damage was limited to broken props, a cracked hub, and severed motor wires, all easily replaced for minimal cost.
The copter is now on build 2 as he is planning on replacing the Naza M flight controller with an Arducopter control board to enable mission planning with waypoints.
The most important part of this project is being able to waterproof the frame while housing an optimum balance of battery power and weight.
The quadcopter has made successful flights of over 10 minutes with no apparent overheating of speed controllers or motors, which was a big initial concern in a airtight/waterproof frame.
Source: Makezine