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The Bogus Batoid Submarine is Wooden, not Yellow (Video)
This is a "wet" submarine. It doesn't try to keep water out. You wear SCUBA gear while pedaling it. And yes, it is powered by a person pushing pedals. That motion, through a drive train, makes manta-style wings flap. This explains the name, since rays are Batoids, and this sub is a fake Batoid, not a real one. It's a beautiful piece of work, and Martin Plazyk is obviously proud to show it off. He and his father, Bruce, operate as Faux Fish Technologies. Follow that link and you'll see many photos, along with a nice selection of videos showing their creations not just in static above-water displays, but in their natural (underwater) element. Meanwhile, here on Slashdot, Martin tells how Faux Fish subs are made. (Alternate Video Link)
There's something fishy about those subs...
Don't waste your vote! Vote for whoever you want, unless you live in a swing state it won't matter anyways
it's a fake real what? I care why?
'The unexamined life is not worth living' - Socrates
Assemble pedants! Which is it?
"Lack of speed can be overcome. In the worst case by patience." --Znork
There's easier ways to drown yourself.
yeesh.
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
With all the extra mass of the ship, is this really more efficient than just strapping on some flippers?
At this stage it just looks like a special-interest art project, or a sculpture you can sit in. Video of it being used in more than 1 metre of water would make this more interesting.
If I had a DeLorean... I would probably only drive it from time to time.
hey, that's actually a aesthetically pleasing deathtrap!
But I still think this is more impressive.
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
My experience with boat maintenance is (thankfully) limited; but I do know that wood tends to shrink and swell rather cheerfully as its moisture content changes, and that larger wooden vessels tend to suffer some 'play' from the hogging and sagging induced by wave action and any changes in relative buoyancy as cargo load changes from voyage to voyage, hence the fine naval tradition of oakum, tar, and endless manual labor lest you die a watery death.
Thinking of that, the pictures of a whole bunch of curved ribs(in what look to be several varieties of wood) forming a cylinder/cone thing with loads of joints that is expected to be immersed during use, caused me to immediately start imagining assorted ominous creaking, stress fractures, and hull geometry issues that you'll have a heroic time hammering out.
Is the coating adequate to prevent that sort of thing? Are they using some carpentry-fu of the same type that holds wooden barrels and wheels together? Will it in fact be a disaster in short order?
That was my first thought, too. But remember, this is a Maker Faire. 90% of all projects shown off are special-interest art.
Chelloveck
I give up on debugging. From now on, SIGSEGV is a feature.
let's all go to Sweden!
Man, you people are so grumpy. How is that not awesome? And that's certainly more relevant to this site than the lines to buy ice at Burning Man...
Wet subs aren't new, and they can be far more efficient because the shape can be much more hydrodynamic than the human body, thus eliminating excess energy expenditure. They can also be used to haul more tanks around, or rearrange your tank to be more streamlined.
Wet subs ain't new, even human powered ones. They've come in all configurations as well - from ones where the diver is just sitting out to ones with canopies. Usually they're for really small torpedo subs, but there are wet subs used by the military that are meant to carry 3-4 SEALs.
But just imagine all the extra compressed-air you'll burn through!
Oh... wait.
Instead of wearing myself out kicking my legs swimming and pushing myself through the water, I can now kick my legs peddling and wear myself out pushing myself and a humongous piece of wood through the water with me.
The partners made a "bat-oid" and the senior partner's name is "Wayne". That means their work shop is the bat-cave.
I suspect the designer's secret identity is Aquaman.
When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
This is a "wet" submarine. It doesn't try to keep water out.
Yeah, that's as funny as a screen door on a submarine.
...I was wondering what the Swedish Navy were chasing. Russian submarine, my arse.
Political debates have me rolling my eyes so much I think I got optical whiplash. I should sue. - Foamy The Squirrel
A Yellow Submarine A Yellow Submarine