Technabob » submarine

Hamster-Powered Submarine Doesn’t Fire Tiny Torpedoes (But it Should)

Technabob — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 15:00:21 +0000

I have to think all the way back to 2007′s hamster-powered paper shredder to the last time I wrote about a gadget which could run on rodent power. But much like the Flintstones, I’ve always wanted more technology to operate on animal power. So I was happy to see that somebody finally created just what nobody actually needed – a submarine that runs on hamster energy.

That’s right. No nuclear fuel rods here, just good old fashioned fast feet on a wheel. This odd looking contraption called the HPS Hamstar was actually created out of an 3-liter soda bottle, with a hamster cage grafted into the middle of it. The whole thing is air-tight, so it doesn’t leak. In case you’re worried about hammie expiring from lack of oxygen – don’t. The HPS Hamstar has air hoses running into it to keep him breathing and happy. As happy as an underwater hamster in a wheel can be, that is. Here’s a video of the Hamstar’s maiden voyage, in case you don’t believe this ridiculous story:

If you’re interested in seeing how the HPS Hamstar was built, you can check out the project website here.

[via Obvious Winner via Geekologie]

Submarine USB Hub: A Sub Hub for Your Flash Dives

Technabob — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 23:00:11 +0000

A couple of years back, I found these USB flash drives which looked like miniature submarines. I always thought they looked pretty cool, but I think they never got past the concept stage. But you can still live out desktop reenactments of Das Boot or The Hunt for Red October with this submarine-inspired USB hub.

The submarine USB hub not only offers five USB (2.0) ports, but it also works as a memory card reader, with support for SD, SDHC, micro SD (T-Flash), micro SDHC, MiniSD, MS duo, M2, and XD-Picture cards.

Despite its submarine styling, I would say with 100% certainty that you shouldn’t go floating this thing in your bathtub unless you want to ruin all your electronics and risk electrocution. You can get the USB sub hub over at Infmetry for $21 (USD).

Necker Nymph: Rent Your Own Underwater Sea Plane from Sir Richard Branson

Shane McGlaun — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 17:49:17 +0000

It’s well established that Sir Richard Branson is both a geek and one of the richest people on Earth. He owns islands and has spent lots of money on commercializing space flight. Overall, he’s the sort of rich geek I wish I could be. He also has one of the fastest catamarans on the oceans called the Necker Belle.

That catamaran isn’t nearly as cool as the Necker Nymph. No, that isn’t some sort of porn show you can only see aboard the catamaran, it’s a submarine. The sub is sort of like an underwater airplane. It looks sort of like the Lotus Esprit that James Bond turned into a submarine to me.

You can rent the Necker Nymph for a full day along with an underwater chauffeur to drive you and a guest around under the waves for a full day if you have the loot. The sub isn’t enclosed so you will need SCUBA gear and dives can last for up to two hours at up to 30-meters deep. At $2,500 (USD) per day, the rental is surprisingly reasonable (at least if you’re Sir Richard Branson).

[via GadgetReview]

Triton 36,000 Submarine Gets Stronger Under Pressure

Shane McGlaun — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 18:32:19 +0000

I like to swim and I have always though SCUBA diving would be cool as long as it was in water shallow enough that sharks couldn’t sneak up on me. I’m not for diving down to the kind of depths in a submarine where the pressure is so great you are one leaky valve from getting a testicle shot off by a billion psi of ice cold ocean water squirting through a crack.

I imagine that is exactly what would happen if you were to say, spring a leak at the bottom of the deepest oceanic trench on earth. A really cool looking submarine has been unveiled called the Triton 36,000. The sub is designed to dive as deep as the ocean goes with two lunatics sitting inside the clear glass dome.

That dome is most of the high-tech science here. The thing is made from some sort of fancy glass concocted at Rayotek Scientific. The design of the dome allows it to actually get stronger the more pressure is on it. The sub is strong enough to dive at 500 feet per minute to the bottom of the 35,797 foot Challenger Deep, which is the deepest part of the Mariana Trench. A leak at that depth and the last thing you would hear would be your co-pilot screaming “OW! My Balls!” Would you ride this thing to the bottom of the ocean?

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

[via Thescuttlefish]

Starship Enterprise Submarine: Its Dive-Year Mission

Technabob — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 21:18:04 +0000

It’s funny, I always thought when they named it the Starship Enterprise, they were talking about the type of ship that could fly through outer space. But apparently, the ship part was referring to a water-bound vessel. At least that’s what I learned when I stumbled onto this remote-controlled Enterprise that can dive beneath the water.

Created by Japan’s Yokosuka Dry Docks, this Starship Enterprise model is water-tight, and can zip around underwater without flooding the bridge or shorting out its nacelles. Check out the video below to see it in action…

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

“Photon torpedoes approaching from port side! Dive, Captain Kirk, Dive!” That’s what I imagine the tiny little crew of Sea Monkeys is saying on board at this very moment.

Be sure to head over to YDD’s YouTube page to see more of their underwater spaceship creations, including the Millenium Falcon, USS Voyager and highly appropriate Battleship Yamato.

[via Videosift]

DIY Submarine Made From Pvc: Dive! Dive!

Range — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:22:57 +0000

This remotely operated vehicle was created thanks to the brains of Jason Rollette, who’s been at it for about five years. This is the second version of his ROV submarine, which is built mostly from PVC tubing.

This kind of reminds me of the movie Abyss for some reason. The ROV submarine uses four 500gph and two 1,250gph bilge pumps. The bigger ones are used for propulsion while the smaller ones are used to dive and surface.

It’s got lights and naturally a functioning camera, which lets Jason guide it into the depths. Jason actually designed some non-explosive torpedoes as well. Sweet. Incredibly, all of the parts needed to build this sub are available at any home improvement store.

He’s got an meticulously detailed guide on how to create your own. Here’s a link to the basic how-to pdf file he created to start off with this build.

[Hack a Day via Make:]

Robot Submarines Zip Through Obstacles, Fire Torpedoes, Ensure That We have No Place to Hide

Lambert Varias — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 11:00:53 +0000

I’m sure you’ve seen the plethora of ground combat robots that we’ve featured here at technabob, and I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned at least a couple of aerial drones. Now, with the conclusion of the frighteningly successful Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International Autonomus Underwater Vehicles competition (AUVSI AUV), all our base are really belong to them.

The contest pitted robot submarines developed by competitors from various universities around the world, all of them eager to bring us closer to Armageddon, one torpedo-carrying robot at a time. The competition was judged by Kelly Cooper, program officer at the Office of Naval Research, and she said that this was the first year that a robot submarine was able to finish the obstacle course with time to spare. She seemed so scared of the results that she temporarily forgot what her department was. Here she is and her palpable fear caught on cam, along with a bunch of future Resistance members paradoxically cheering Skynet’s prototypes.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Check out the AUVSI AUV website for more details on the competition, along with videos of serene waters being conquered by future killer robots.

[via BotJunkie]

K-95: Waterproof Submarine Flash Drive Goes for a Swim

Technabob — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 11:40:38 +0000

How many times have you accidentally taken your USB flash drive into the swimming pool, only to find all your data destroyed when you towel off? What’s that you say? None times? That’s alright, we’ve got an invention for you anyway.

Man Works Design’s K-95 waterproof USB flash storage device is a concept design in search of an actual need. Still, there’s something I kind of like about the clever submarine-shaped design of these flash drives.

Now all I need is that waterproof laptop to go with these, and I’ll be all set.

[via designeast]