Underwater drone with a gripper arm: what you can retrofit on FIFISH and Chasing

Many pilots notice after their first dives: filming is great, but sometimes you want to pick something up. The good news: on the larger models from QYSEA (FIFISH) and Chasing, you can retrofit a gripper arm. The less good news: it is expensive and changes how the drone handles.

First of all: we have not fitted or tested any of these gripper arms ourselves. All values come from manufacturers and retailers. This is an assessment, not a hands-on test. You will find everything about extra lamps in a separate article: More light for your underwater drone: which add-on lamps exist for FIFISH and Chasing.

Which drone can do what?

Not every underwater drone has a port for accessories. The small entry-level models usually have none.

All information according to the manufacturer or retailer. More on the individual drones: FIFISH V-EVO: a closer look, FIFISH V6 Expert: a closer look, Chasing Gladius Mini S: a closer look, Chasing Dory: a closer look.

The underwater drone with gripper arm: what is on offer

QYSEA FIFISH: 2-finger gripper arm

According to QYSEA, the “2-Finger Robotic Arm” fits the V-EVO, V6 Expert and E-GO. There is a separate version for each model.

• Gripping force: 100 N maximum clamping force, 7 kgf gripping force (V-EVO, V6 Expert) or 10 kgf (E-GO). On the V-EVO product page, QYSEA states 70 N.
• Opening: up to 12 cm
• Weight: 0.8 kg (V-EVO, V6 Expert)
• Depth: 100 m (V-EVO, V6 Expert)
• Power: comes directly from the drone, at most 2 A at 12 V
• What is in the box: arm, mount, one pair of parallel grippers, mounting kit with screws, O-rings and tool
• Price: V-EVO version €399 (QYSEA shop Germany) or US$399; V6 Expert version US$699. Spare grippers US$35.

For the V6 Expert, the arm is also available in a bundle: the M100A costs €3,899 in the German QYSEA shop versus €2,899 for the M100 (both plus VAT). That price difference also includes an industrial case instead of the foam case, though.

Practical for heavy objects is the Retrieval Hook (€49 or US$49). The arm places the hook on the object, latches it on and lets go. You then haul it up on a rope from the surface. According to QYSEA, the hook withstands up to 80 kgf of pull. The rope is not included.

Chasing: Grabber Claw and Grabber Arm 2.0

• Grabber Claw (Gladius Mini S): According to the Chasing manual, maximum 7 kg gripping force, 12 cm opening, 2.8 seconds per opening or closing, 370 g on land and 50 g in water, down to 100 m. It connects via a 4-pin waterproof plug. Retailers give US$399 as the regular price.
• Grabber Arm 2.0 (M2, M2 S, M2 Pro; separate variants for the M2 Pro Max and Chasing X): maximum 7 kg gripping force, 17 cm opening, tool heads that can be swapped without tools, down to 100 m. Retailer price US$799.

We did not find euro prices for the Chasing grippers at Chasing itself.

Installation: how fitting works

The manufacturers' instructions are short. This is how Chasing describes fitting the Grabber Claw to the Gladius series:

1. Switch off the drone. Chasing warns that fitting it with the drone switched on can cause a short circuit.
2. Fasten the mount to the drone with four M3 screws.
3. Plug the cable into the gripper and the drone and tighten it by hand.
4. Check the O-ring on the plug and replace it if damaged.
5. Switch the drone on, activate the gripping function in the app and open and close it with the right thumb wheel.

With QYSEA, the mount, screws, O-rings and tool are included. The arm is powered via the expansion interface and does not need its own charger. After diving, keep all connectors dry and clean. Chasing points out that salt and moisture attack the connectors.

What the gripper arm does to trim and battery

Trim and buoyancy

Every added part changes how the drone sits in the water. The manufacturers try to compensate for this:

• According to the manufacturer, the QYSEA arm has a neutral buoyancy system so the drone keeps its balance.
• According to the manual, the Chasing Grabber Claw weighs only 50 g in water.

A weight at the front or side makes the drone tilt slightly, and the thrusters have to counteract it. How strong this is on which model, and whether buoyancy bodies are needed, the manufacturers do not say.

Battery run time

• Gripper arm: According to the manufacturer, the QYSEA arm needs at most 2 A at 12 V, so 24 watts at most. That is our calculation from the manufacturer's figures. It only draws this power while it is working. For comparison: according to QYSEA, the V-EVO battery has 97.2 Wh and the V6 Expert's has 156 Wh. QYSEA does not state any loss of run time.
• On top of that: more weight and drag mean more work for the thrusters.

More on looking after the battery: Battery care: keep your drone going for many dives.

DIY: what is documented

Home-made accessories are a risk for seals and warranty. A few approaches are publicly documented, though:

• Your own gripper tips: QYSEA writes that the gripper tips of the 2-finger arm have standard mounting holes for your own or DIY tools.
• 3D-printed grippers: On Printables there is a “QYSEA FIFISH V6 Parallel Gripper” to print yourself (files from 2022) as a replacement for the standard claws of the V6 arm. We have not tested it.
• Third-party grippers on FIFISH: In the Blue Robotics forum in 2021, a user asked whether the Newton gripper can be adapted to a FIFISH V6. There is no documented solution there.

If you want to get deeper into building your own: Build your own ROV instead of buying: what works under €1,000, under €2,000 and with the BlueROV2?

Is the gripper arm worth it?

• Yes, if you regularly want to recover something. In that case, on the V6 Expert the bundle with the arm is the better deal.
• Rather not, if you mainly shoot holiday videos. Then the money is often better spent on a better drone. See Buying an underwater drone: what to look for and Underwater drones under 1,000 euros: the best models of 2026.

We show how to use the gripper arm in practice in Recovering lost items from a lake: how to get back a phone, keys or a ring with an underwater drone. If you also need more light, you will find the options in More light for your underwater drone: which add-on lamps exist for FIFISH and Chasing.

Frequently asked questions

In video

This is how fitting a gripper arm to a FIFISH works:

Lost something important underwater that a hobby drone can no longer recover? UDRA offers professional recovery missions in Austria.

EditorKennyKenny writes about ROVs, tests and missions for Unterwasserpilot.