How Tech Works (2012–…): Season 1, Episode 4 - Episode #1.4 - full transcript
On this episode
of How Tech Works.
We go to a lab in Florida,
that sets fire to houses...
on purpose.
And, will 3D technology
of the future,
help to unlock the
mysteries of the past?
We'll travel to Stonehenge,
to find out.
Hello there, and welcome
to How Tech Works,
the show that takes
you behind the scenes,
up close and personal,
and sometimes just over the top,
on the latest
technology stories.
from around the world.
I'm Basil Singer.
Today we'll meet inventors,
who want to put you,
in the driver seat of their
personal submersible.
But first,
for centuries Stonehenge has
managed to keep its secrets.
But that hasn't
stopped researchers
from trying to crack
it's many codes.
Now some archaeologists
in Britain,
are taking things in a whole
new direction and dimension.
Five thousand years after
the mysterious emergence
of Stonehenge,
a technique called
Photogrammetry,
which uses laser beams
and high tech photography,
is going to bring some of that
blurry mystery, into fine focus.
We're using a very
accurate laser scanner,
which fires a beam
of laser light,
at the stones
or at the ground's surface,
and measures the time it takes
to come back with a reflection.
And that gives us a distance,
by knowing where we
are in 3D space.
It's one of the only
scanners in England,
which captures data,
with ½ millimeter resolution.
And when it's finished,
the 3D models will be the most
comprehensive ever seen.
It's actually going to be
an immense mine for information,
which can be used
in all sorts of different ways.
It can be used
to monitor the condition
of the monument itself.
It can be used to do research,
to do analysis,
on the material to get to parts
we can't normally see,
or light it
in different ways.
For thousands
of years,
these 400 ton monuments,
have been silent witness
to mysterious rituals.
They've served as a guestbook,
inscribed with
some famous names,
including one very
famous architect.
What we have here is
what is purported to be,
the graffiti left
by Sir Christopher Wren,
who's family actually
had a home not far from here,
and he's known
to have visited here.
And you have the cross
for Christopher,
and then the W and
then the r- e -n."
The answers
to big questions like,
'Who brought them
here?' and ‘Why?',
have produced some
intriguing theories,
but nothing ‘written in stone'.
Yes, Stonehenge
attracts theories,
some of which are very sensible,
some of which are more extreme
shall we say.
Basically it's a place
of celebration.
It's a long lived place.
It was in use for 1½ thousand
years, 1500 years.
It was a place for celebration,
it was certainly associated
with the solstices.
The summer and the winter
solstices and change of seasons.
But what actually went
on here and how they used it,
that's a mystery to us still.
Today they're
going to scan the last
of the two meter
high megaliths.
So at the minute it's
basically taking,
a series of overlapping
photographs,
which will create a 360 mosaic,
which will be used to colorize
the laser scan later on.
One crucial
aspect of the stones,
is out of reach
of laser beams.
The top parts, or Lintels.
So we've got the scans
at the sides of the stones,
and like I said that goes up
to the kind of top edge.
So what I'm doing
is capturing angles shots,
down onto the edge
on the top and the sides.
So that when I generate the 3D
computer model on the top,
we've got some overlap
so that we can register,
the work I'm doing
to the laser scanning.
Cory Hope
sets up a 12 meter jib,
and a stereoscopic camera,
that can be positioned
above the stones.
Photogrammetry is better
at capturing texture,
color, and those
kind of things.
So what we're
actually doing here,
is we're combining the two.
And a term that's kicking around
is called "lidar" grammetry,
where you are combining
the laser survey,
with high quality
stereo photography,
to drape over it so you get a
truly photo-realistic 3D model.
The combination
of the two methods,
produces a huge
amount of intricate
and finally detailed data.
Each physical stone had roughly
about 30 million triangles,
needed to be processed
to create the model.
And then over
the process of the survey,
that we undertook over
a three week duration.
Were up to almost
five terabytes of data.
Which is quite difficult
to manipulate.
Those 30 million
triangles,
result in this incredible
3D imagery of Stonehenge,
never before seen.
Now every angle,
from top to bottom,
can be scrutinized and studied.
A dream come true
for an archaeologist.
We haven't studied
all of the data yet.
I say we've only just
scratched the surface.
We've only looked at some
of the areas we know,
there are carvings on
to look at them to see
what the level of resolution is.
It's going to take
years of study,
to be able to look at
all the stones in detail,
and say whether or not we've got
new prehistoric carvings,
or that sort of thing on it.
Dave can already
look closer than ever before,
at graffiti that has fascinated
him for decades.
This is a very good example
of the modern graffiti,
that the laser scanning
will begin to show us.
This one shows very clearly in
the light we got this morning,
but you can see it's a Mr.
Bridger who was here in 1866,
he comes from Chichester,
this is an abbreviation
for Chichester,
and he's in Sussex.
And he's even put
the nice line underneath it.
In time the 3D model
could tell us more about,
Mr. Bridger's visit
to Stonehenge.
And good news for those of us
‘armchair archaeologists'.
3D virtual Stonehenge,
will eventually be made
available online.
Now from the mysteries
of the past,
to the mysteries of the deep,
as in ‘Deep-sea diving',
something for the
Jacques Cousteau in all of us.
The Dutch company in this
next story builds personal subs.
I know right? Pretty cool.
And so naturally,
How Tech Works,
is right there,
on the scene, for a test dive...
in a car park.
This is U-Boat Worx.
It's a company that makes
personal submersibles,
for two to five people,
with big acrylic bubbles,
that give spectacular views
under the sea.
It is a very unique feeling to
drive in one of the submarines.
You get a freedom that you
have never experienced before.
The pressure hull keeps you at
a comfortable one-atmosphere,
all the time so you don't feel
any pressure on your ears.
It's a very safe feeling
to be underwater.
And today we are doing
some very important tests,
with our latest
C-Explorer 2 submersible.
The C-Explorer 2 is
the 10th sub the company's made.
It's designed to go
down to 180 meters.
Before they test
it in the ocean,
they have to test it
out here, in a tank.
Our test results will
basically determine,
if the sub is stable enough,
to handle extremely
rough sea conditions.
If we are successful today,
we can continue with our
extensive test program,
otherwise it is back to
the drawing board,
for a costly redesign.
In the C-Explorer submarines,
we really try to give people
an excessive amount of view.
Of course they go underwater
in the end to see something,
so we build
a huge acrylic sphere,
in which the people can sit
and this also defines,
or determines the entire model,
and the construction
of the submarine.
To give it stability,
we have a pontoon-like structure
around these acrylic spheres.
And these will provide
ride stability,
and the right clearance
from the surface,
for people to get
out and in safely.
Let's start with
the stability test?
Camiel Brants
is the lead engineer and pilot.
Michel Hell is his technician.
Before they unbalance the sub,
So I use this for the
horizontal position?
they take measurements when
the sub is level in the water.
Let's put on the weights.
Okay, I go on the front
to put on 150 kilograms.
Technician
Marcus Bloem,
adds lead weights to the bow,
to make the sub
tilt to the front.
150 kilos doesn't sound
like much,
but the engineers can add
more to a computer model,
to make sure the sub can
survive even larger forces.
The sub is tilting forward,
exactly the way they planned it.
Two-point-three, okay.
The goal
is to make a sub,
that's safe and easy
for anyone to operate.
So there'll be easy cruising
for the wealthy yacht owner,
who ordered this particular sub.
It's really interesting
for them to have a submarine,
on their yacht so that
they can explore,
to see what's below
the surface,
instead of only to see
what's on top of the surface.
Next they put a 100
kilos on the side of the sub.
To simulate people
standing on it.
For example, if you have
a canoe, it's small,
if you hang too much
to the side it will tip over.
With this boat we want
to make sure that,
water can never go
into the submersible,
even if there are standing
10 people on the side.
We've got a 100
kilograms on the starboard side.
So you can do your
weight measurements.
The sub is listing,
but no more than they expected.
It passes the stability test.
Now it's time for the dive.
Even though the test tank
is less than three meters deep,
Oxygen is running.
They run
through the checklist,
just like they're going
way down.
Opening vents.
To submerge
the C-Explorer 2,
the pilot opens up valves,
that let out air,
contained in four
expandable rubber tanks.
That makes the sub less buoyant.
To bring it back up,
air is pumped back
into the rubber tanks.
They expand,
and the submarine is buoyant.
Even though the test
tank is no bigger,
than two shipping containers,
Camiel and Michel
are having fun.
We need to put some small sharks
in here or some sucker fish!
to topside, go a bit to the back
please for a good position.
Camiel
works the thrusters,
to move the sub away
from the tank wall.
to topside, you have permission
to blow your diving tanks.
The sub's
systems are working well.
I would like
to do another dive,
if that is possible?
You have permission
to open your vents again.
It's time to test
the emergency gear.
Okay we are starting procedure
to release the buoy.
In case the submarine might
get into trouble underwater.
The pilot might decide
to release this buoy,
so that it goes to the surface,
and people there can see
where the submarine is.
And the buoy
has released.
The C-Explorer 2,
is designed to bob
up to the surface,
if there is a problem.
But if that doesn't happen,
the pilot can release
the drop weight.
A 100 kilos of lead.
So the sub rises.
Alright
we will start procedure,
dropping drop weight.
It happens fast.
And it has dropped.
Really nice.
This dive went well,
but many more need to be done.
This C-Explorer,
it is destined to go through
a much more
extensive test program,
that will be done
under the supervision,
of an external
classification authority.
Once it is completely certified,
it will be delivered
and commissioned,
together with the end user.
As to the cost,
U-Boat Worx Subs start
at around 600,000£.
With a price tag like that,
the view has to be priceless.
Do not go away.
We'll be right back with lot's
more, How Tech Works.
Welcome back to
How Tech Works.
I'm Basil Singer,
and now we're off
to a lab in Florida,
who do something, totally crazy.
Because they set fire
to houses, on purpose.
I know!
I want to go there and checkout
their latest in fire prevention.
We call it,
‘Burning the house down'.
This is a place
where people,
love to set things on fire.
I will admit to being
a bit of a pyro.
Today Julie Rochman,
is setting a whole house
on fire.
We are actually making
for the first time,
anywhere in the world,
indoors, in a controlled
environment ember storms.
It's all being
done in the name of safety.
At this one of a kind
facility in Tampa, Florida.
The IBHs research center was
created for the single purpose,
of trying to identify, evaluate
and promote effective ways,
to reduce property losses,
from a variety of natural
disasters including wildfire.
Wildfires
are becoming more,
and more of a problem.
In 2011 we saw
record wildfire losses,
throughout the south west.
At one point this Spring,
Texas was on fire
from border to border.
There was a wildfire in
virtually every county.
At this point in
the United States,
one out of three housing units,
is actually located where
the brush and the trees,
meet development.
Advancing walls
of fire can cause damage.
But they're not the only threat.
The problem when it comes
to property protection,
are the embers or the fire
brands that travel on the wind,
a mile or more beyond
the perimeter,
that the fire services
have set up.
Those embers will find
something to ignite,
on or near or inside a home,
and those homes will then burn,
because there is nobody
there to protect them.
Julie and her team,
want to learn how to protect
homes from these embers.
The best way to do that?
Burn one down!
But before you can burn it,
you have to build it.
And it is no doll house.
The IBHS research center,
is the only facility
of its kind on the planet.
We are the only place
where you can do,
full scale one and two story
building specimens,
up to about 2000 square feet.
On which we hang different
types of siding and roofing,
and gutter materials.
Windows are installed,
we put mulch and vegetation,
around the specimen so it
is not finished on the inside,
because we are really looking
at exterior ignition points.
To ignite
the fire here,
chief engineer Tim Reinhold,
is burning mulch
and dowels in a chamber.
The biggest challenge was
in generating the embers,
and getting the system to work
where we had a good dispersion,
of the embers coming
in at the houses.
105 fans will blow
hot sparks at the house.
A fan blows those embers
up through ducts,
and release it into
the wind stream,
from there the wind,
carries the embers and
they attack the building,
the way the embers
would in real world.
where they are ducted
around the building,
and the swirling
motion of the wind.
Typically the most
dangerous wildfires,
are the ones that occur
when you've got,
a fairly strong
wind environment,
blowing the embers.
Sometimes over complexed
ranged 70 or 80 miles an hour.
And those are the ones that
the fronts move like crazy.
Everyone's watching
where the embers will go.
What we hope to learn,
is exactly how different sizes
and types of embers catch,
so the smaller embers,
that tend to be blown
or drawn into openings,
like soffits or gable end vents,
or the larger embers
that will sit on the top,
of an untreated wood shake roof,
and burn unnoticed until
they actually fall through,
the layers of shake,
into the home and burn
it from the inside out.
Today they are
getting some answers.
One of the myths
that was out there,
was that you should leave one
window open for the fire dept.
to have access to your house.
You don't want to do that.
If a flame gets up there
a screen is going to melt,
in a heart beat,
and now you've got
a pathway,
for the embers to come
right into your house.
It's very important to seal up,
keep things out as much
as you possibly can.
Getting this kind
of information,
is exactly what makes
this facility,
and these kinds
of tests important.
When you break things
you learn a lot.
You learn a lot more
from destroying things,
than you do from
when they work well.
This is just
the beginning.
They plan to do lots
more tests in the future.
For Julie it makes being
a pyro all worthwhile.
Everything that we do here,
is designed to help home
and business owners,
better protect their property.
We want to teach people how
to demand better construction.
How to get safer construction,
and how to reduce losses so we
don't see injuries and deaths,
and property destruction
as a result of wildfire,
and other natural disasters.
Finally, when it comes
to high-tech toys,
this next gadget
is just, wicked.
It's a pulse jet bike,
powered by,
you got it, the jet
from an airplane.
I'm not sure if it comes
with training wheels,
but we warn you,
it might get loud.
The sound
will take your breath away.
It sounds like a 1000
sledgehammers,
pounding on a rail-road track.
It's not good,
but it's interesting.
- Bob Maddox
likes interesting.
He took a simple
schematic of a V1 bomb,
from The Second World War,
and he turned it into,
locomotion with attitude.
This time it's a bomb
strapped to a bicycle.
Well no, it's a jet engine
strapped to a bicycle.
The pulse jet's not a bomb.
It's just an engine
like anything else.
It's just a kind of the
model T of jet engines.
As far as dangerous
it's about as dangerous,
as the car that you're driving.
Other than they get
extremely hot.
Bob's motivation is
pure and simple, he likes speed.
Loud is fun. Fire is fun.
Explosions are fun.
I guess that's the draw to it.
Being on
a limited budget,
he made his own V1 pulse
jet engine from scratch.
So I went to my shop
and I started chiseling away,
trying to figure out
how to make one work.
It took a few months but,
I finally got an
operational engine.
So I decided you know if
you're making something,
that makes a lot of
power and thrust,
you want to put it on
something to go fast.
So...
First thing I could really find
was an old cruiser bicycle,
that was leaning up against
the wall at my shop.
After the first
run on that rickety bike,
he was hooked.
It felt pretty darn good
because it pulled pretty hard.
It made about
60 pounds of thrust,
and it took off pretty good,
it was a lot of fun.
The little jet bikes
are a lot of fun to ride.
Bob used to spend
his time,
making tiny delicate
pencil strokes as a fine artist.
It really wasn't my speed,
and talking to all
the artsy-fartsy people.
I felt you know,
a little out of place.
It didn't hold my interest.
Like designing and building
the jet powered vehicles,
and stuff that I do.
Now he's molded
his talents into hand crafting,
these engines from
flat pieces of metal.
What I'm trying
to do is build up,
a limited edition really
high-end type of bikes.
Probably in the 25-60
thousand dollar range.
He also sells designs
engines and kits online.
So you too can build
your own jet powered stuff!
At first glance, the engine
just looks like an empty tube.
But that's just
the beauty of the design.
The whole tube
is the engine.
You set off an explosion
up in the front of it.
And all the gases rush out
the tailpipe.
Here's how it works.
The way the pulse
jet engine runs,
is it has to create turbulence,
that mixes the fuel
and the air together.
And when that fuel
and air mixture,
get down to the spark plug,
the spark plug sets it off,
and goes off like a cannon.
Boom! When it does, it shuts
this one-way reed valve,
causes all the gases,
to rush out of the tail pipe,
just like a canon.
At supersonic speed.
So that creates a suction.
It creates a negative pressure
inside the whole engine.
It opens the one-way reed valve.
Sucks air which mixes with fuel
that's spraying all the time.
And then there's so much
negative pressure here
that is sucks air all the way
back up the tail pipe.
And it brings some of the fire
from that previous explosion
back up with it and the fire
that it brought back up,
sets off that new charge
and bang it goes off again.
And like a canon again,
the whole sequence repeats.
So it's like a canon going off
70 times every second.
The complexity
of it all is forgotten,
when Bob forgets his pedals
and starts to melt metal.
When you're riding it,
you just have to get
it into your head
that you're riding
a motorcycle not a bicycle.
cause if you're thinking I'm
going 60 miles an hour
or 83 miles an hour,
you just don't want to think
that I'm on a bicycle
with bicycle tires.
You want to think I'm
on a motorcycle.
And it's going to hold together!
And those tires aren't going
to blow apart any second!
Bob's next project
is putting one of his engines
into a vintage Lakester.
The amount of thrust
in this one
could take Bob to speeds
of epic proportion.
So it only weighs about
700 or 750 pounds,
and the buzz bombs
weighed 4500 pounds,
and flew 400 miles an hour.
So it should be able
to go fairly fast.
His only
challenge with that,
will be getting the Lakester
back home with his bike,
at least he has options.
Good thing I have pedals.
Well that's it for today,
I'm Basil Singer.
Thank you very much
for watching,
How Tech Works.
See you next time.
of How Tech Works.
We go to a lab in Florida,
that sets fire to houses...
on purpose.
And, will 3D technology
of the future,
help to unlock the
mysteries of the past?
We'll travel to Stonehenge,
to find out.
Hello there, and welcome
to How Tech Works,
the show that takes
you behind the scenes,
up close and personal,
and sometimes just over the top,
on the latest
technology stories.
from around the world.
I'm Basil Singer.
Today we'll meet inventors,
who want to put you,
in the driver seat of their
personal submersible.
But first,
for centuries Stonehenge has
managed to keep its secrets.
But that hasn't
stopped researchers
from trying to crack
it's many codes.
Now some archaeologists
in Britain,
are taking things in a whole
new direction and dimension.
Five thousand years after
the mysterious emergence
of Stonehenge,
a technique called
Photogrammetry,
which uses laser beams
and high tech photography,
is going to bring some of that
blurry mystery, into fine focus.
We're using a very
accurate laser scanner,
which fires a beam
of laser light,
at the stones
or at the ground's surface,
and measures the time it takes
to come back with a reflection.
And that gives us a distance,
by knowing where we
are in 3D space.
It's one of the only
scanners in England,
which captures data,
with ½ millimeter resolution.
And when it's finished,
the 3D models will be the most
comprehensive ever seen.
It's actually going to be
an immense mine for information,
which can be used
in all sorts of different ways.
It can be used
to monitor the condition
of the monument itself.
It can be used to do research,
to do analysis,
on the material to get to parts
we can't normally see,
or light it
in different ways.
For thousands
of years,
these 400 ton monuments,
have been silent witness
to mysterious rituals.
They've served as a guestbook,
inscribed with
some famous names,
including one very
famous architect.
What we have here is
what is purported to be,
the graffiti left
by Sir Christopher Wren,
who's family actually
had a home not far from here,
and he's known
to have visited here.
And you have the cross
for Christopher,
and then the W and
then the r- e -n."
The answers
to big questions like,
'Who brought them
here?' and ‘Why?',
have produced some
intriguing theories,
but nothing ‘written in stone'.
Yes, Stonehenge
attracts theories,
some of which are very sensible,
some of which are more extreme
shall we say.
Basically it's a place
of celebration.
It's a long lived place.
It was in use for 1½ thousand
years, 1500 years.
It was a place for celebration,
it was certainly associated
with the solstices.
The summer and the winter
solstices and change of seasons.
But what actually went
on here and how they used it,
that's a mystery to us still.
Today they're
going to scan the last
of the two meter
high megaliths.
So at the minute it's
basically taking,
a series of overlapping
photographs,
which will create a 360 mosaic,
which will be used to colorize
the laser scan later on.
One crucial
aspect of the stones,
is out of reach
of laser beams.
The top parts, or Lintels.
So we've got the scans
at the sides of the stones,
and like I said that goes up
to the kind of top edge.
So what I'm doing
is capturing angles shots,
down onto the edge
on the top and the sides.
So that when I generate the 3D
computer model on the top,
we've got some overlap
so that we can register,
the work I'm doing
to the laser scanning.
Cory Hope
sets up a 12 meter jib,
and a stereoscopic camera,
that can be positioned
above the stones.
Photogrammetry is better
at capturing texture,
color, and those
kind of things.
So what we're
actually doing here,
is we're combining the two.
And a term that's kicking around
is called "lidar" grammetry,
where you are combining
the laser survey,
with high quality
stereo photography,
to drape over it so you get a
truly photo-realistic 3D model.
The combination
of the two methods,
produces a huge
amount of intricate
and finally detailed data.
Each physical stone had roughly
about 30 million triangles,
needed to be processed
to create the model.
And then over
the process of the survey,
that we undertook over
a three week duration.
Were up to almost
five terabytes of data.
Which is quite difficult
to manipulate.
Those 30 million
triangles,
result in this incredible
3D imagery of Stonehenge,
never before seen.
Now every angle,
from top to bottom,
can be scrutinized and studied.
A dream come true
for an archaeologist.
We haven't studied
all of the data yet.
I say we've only just
scratched the surface.
We've only looked at some
of the areas we know,
there are carvings on
to look at them to see
what the level of resolution is.
It's going to take
years of study,
to be able to look at
all the stones in detail,
and say whether or not we've got
new prehistoric carvings,
or that sort of thing on it.
Dave can already
look closer than ever before,
at graffiti that has fascinated
him for decades.
This is a very good example
of the modern graffiti,
that the laser scanning
will begin to show us.
This one shows very clearly in
the light we got this morning,
but you can see it's a Mr.
Bridger who was here in 1866,
he comes from Chichester,
this is an abbreviation
for Chichester,
and he's in Sussex.
And he's even put
the nice line underneath it.
In time the 3D model
could tell us more about,
Mr. Bridger's visit
to Stonehenge.
And good news for those of us
‘armchair archaeologists'.
3D virtual Stonehenge,
will eventually be made
available online.
Now from the mysteries
of the past,
to the mysteries of the deep,
as in ‘Deep-sea diving',
something for the
Jacques Cousteau in all of us.
The Dutch company in this
next story builds personal subs.
I know right? Pretty cool.
And so naturally,
How Tech Works,
is right there,
on the scene, for a test dive...
in a car park.
This is U-Boat Worx.
It's a company that makes
personal submersibles,
for two to five people,
with big acrylic bubbles,
that give spectacular views
under the sea.
It is a very unique feeling to
drive in one of the submarines.
You get a freedom that you
have never experienced before.
The pressure hull keeps you at
a comfortable one-atmosphere,
all the time so you don't feel
any pressure on your ears.
It's a very safe feeling
to be underwater.
And today we are doing
some very important tests,
with our latest
C-Explorer 2 submersible.
The C-Explorer 2 is
the 10th sub the company's made.
It's designed to go
down to 180 meters.
Before they test
it in the ocean,
they have to test it
out here, in a tank.
Our test results will
basically determine,
if the sub is stable enough,
to handle extremely
rough sea conditions.
If we are successful today,
we can continue with our
extensive test program,
otherwise it is back to
the drawing board,
for a costly redesign.
In the C-Explorer submarines,
we really try to give people
an excessive amount of view.
Of course they go underwater
in the end to see something,
so we build
a huge acrylic sphere,
in which the people can sit
and this also defines,
or determines the entire model,
and the construction
of the submarine.
To give it stability,
we have a pontoon-like structure
around these acrylic spheres.
And these will provide
ride stability,
and the right clearance
from the surface,
for people to get
out and in safely.
Let's start with
the stability test?
Camiel Brants
is the lead engineer and pilot.
Michel Hell is his technician.
Before they unbalance the sub,
So I use this for the
horizontal position?
they take measurements when
the sub is level in the water.
Let's put on the weights.
Okay, I go on the front
to put on 150 kilograms.
Technician
Marcus Bloem,
adds lead weights to the bow,
to make the sub
tilt to the front.
150 kilos doesn't sound
like much,
but the engineers can add
more to a computer model,
to make sure the sub can
survive even larger forces.
The sub is tilting forward,
exactly the way they planned it.
Two-point-three, okay.
The goal
is to make a sub,
that's safe and easy
for anyone to operate.
So there'll be easy cruising
for the wealthy yacht owner,
who ordered this particular sub.
It's really interesting
for them to have a submarine,
on their yacht so that
they can explore,
to see what's below
the surface,
instead of only to see
what's on top of the surface.
Next they put a 100
kilos on the side of the sub.
To simulate people
standing on it.
For example, if you have
a canoe, it's small,
if you hang too much
to the side it will tip over.
With this boat we want
to make sure that,
water can never go
into the submersible,
even if there are standing
10 people on the side.
We've got a 100
kilograms on the starboard side.
So you can do your
weight measurements.
The sub is listing,
but no more than they expected.
It passes the stability test.
Now it's time for the dive.
Even though the test tank
is less than three meters deep,
Oxygen is running.
They run
through the checklist,
just like they're going
way down.
Opening vents.
To submerge
the C-Explorer 2,
the pilot opens up valves,
that let out air,
contained in four
expandable rubber tanks.
That makes the sub less buoyant.
To bring it back up,
air is pumped back
into the rubber tanks.
They expand,
and the submarine is buoyant.
Even though the test
tank is no bigger,
than two shipping containers,
Camiel and Michel
are having fun.
We need to put some small sharks
in here or some sucker fish!
to topside, go a bit to the back
please for a good position.
Camiel
works the thrusters,
to move the sub away
from the tank wall.
to topside, you have permission
to blow your diving tanks.
The sub's
systems are working well.
I would like
to do another dive,
if that is possible?
You have permission
to open your vents again.
It's time to test
the emergency gear.
Okay we are starting procedure
to release the buoy.
In case the submarine might
get into trouble underwater.
The pilot might decide
to release this buoy,
so that it goes to the surface,
and people there can see
where the submarine is.
And the buoy
has released.
The C-Explorer 2,
is designed to bob
up to the surface,
if there is a problem.
But if that doesn't happen,
the pilot can release
the drop weight.
A 100 kilos of lead.
So the sub rises.
Alright
we will start procedure,
dropping drop weight.
It happens fast.
And it has dropped.
Really nice.
This dive went well,
but many more need to be done.
This C-Explorer,
it is destined to go through
a much more
extensive test program,
that will be done
under the supervision,
of an external
classification authority.
Once it is completely certified,
it will be delivered
and commissioned,
together with the end user.
As to the cost,
U-Boat Worx Subs start
at around 600,000£.
With a price tag like that,
the view has to be priceless.
Do not go away.
We'll be right back with lot's
more, How Tech Works.
Welcome back to
How Tech Works.
I'm Basil Singer,
and now we're off
to a lab in Florida,
who do something, totally crazy.
Because they set fire
to houses, on purpose.
I know!
I want to go there and checkout
their latest in fire prevention.
We call it,
‘Burning the house down'.
This is a place
where people,
love to set things on fire.
I will admit to being
a bit of a pyro.
Today Julie Rochman,
is setting a whole house
on fire.
We are actually making
for the first time,
anywhere in the world,
indoors, in a controlled
environment ember storms.
It's all being
done in the name of safety.
At this one of a kind
facility in Tampa, Florida.
The IBHs research center was
created for the single purpose,
of trying to identify, evaluate
and promote effective ways,
to reduce property losses,
from a variety of natural
disasters including wildfire.
Wildfires
are becoming more,
and more of a problem.
In 2011 we saw
record wildfire losses,
throughout the south west.
At one point this Spring,
Texas was on fire
from border to border.
There was a wildfire in
virtually every county.
At this point in
the United States,
one out of three housing units,
is actually located where
the brush and the trees,
meet development.
Advancing walls
of fire can cause damage.
But they're not the only threat.
The problem when it comes
to property protection,
are the embers or the fire
brands that travel on the wind,
a mile or more beyond
the perimeter,
that the fire services
have set up.
Those embers will find
something to ignite,
on or near or inside a home,
and those homes will then burn,
because there is nobody
there to protect them.
Julie and her team,
want to learn how to protect
homes from these embers.
The best way to do that?
Burn one down!
But before you can burn it,
you have to build it.
And it is no doll house.
The IBHS research center,
is the only facility
of its kind on the planet.
We are the only place
where you can do,
full scale one and two story
building specimens,
up to about 2000 square feet.
On which we hang different
types of siding and roofing,
and gutter materials.
Windows are installed,
we put mulch and vegetation,
around the specimen so it
is not finished on the inside,
because we are really looking
at exterior ignition points.
To ignite
the fire here,
chief engineer Tim Reinhold,
is burning mulch
and dowels in a chamber.
The biggest challenge was
in generating the embers,
and getting the system to work
where we had a good dispersion,
of the embers coming
in at the houses.
105 fans will blow
hot sparks at the house.
A fan blows those embers
up through ducts,
and release it into
the wind stream,
from there the wind,
carries the embers and
they attack the building,
the way the embers
would in real world.
where they are ducted
around the building,
and the swirling
motion of the wind.
Typically the most
dangerous wildfires,
are the ones that occur
when you've got,
a fairly strong
wind environment,
blowing the embers.
Sometimes over complexed
ranged 70 or 80 miles an hour.
And those are the ones that
the fronts move like crazy.
Everyone's watching
where the embers will go.
What we hope to learn,
is exactly how different sizes
and types of embers catch,
so the smaller embers,
that tend to be blown
or drawn into openings,
like soffits or gable end vents,
or the larger embers
that will sit on the top,
of an untreated wood shake roof,
and burn unnoticed until
they actually fall through,
the layers of shake,
into the home and burn
it from the inside out.
Today they are
getting some answers.
One of the myths
that was out there,
was that you should leave one
window open for the fire dept.
to have access to your house.
You don't want to do that.
If a flame gets up there
a screen is going to melt,
in a heart beat,
and now you've got
a pathway,
for the embers to come
right into your house.
It's very important to seal up,
keep things out as much
as you possibly can.
Getting this kind
of information,
is exactly what makes
this facility,
and these kinds
of tests important.
When you break things
you learn a lot.
You learn a lot more
from destroying things,
than you do from
when they work well.
This is just
the beginning.
They plan to do lots
more tests in the future.
For Julie it makes being
a pyro all worthwhile.
Everything that we do here,
is designed to help home
and business owners,
better protect their property.
We want to teach people how
to demand better construction.
How to get safer construction,
and how to reduce losses so we
don't see injuries and deaths,
and property destruction
as a result of wildfire,
and other natural disasters.
Finally, when it comes
to high-tech toys,
this next gadget
is just, wicked.
It's a pulse jet bike,
powered by,
you got it, the jet
from an airplane.
I'm not sure if it comes
with training wheels,
but we warn you,
it might get loud.
The sound
will take your breath away.
It sounds like a 1000
sledgehammers,
pounding on a rail-road track.
It's not good,
but it's interesting.
- Bob Maddox
likes interesting.
He took a simple
schematic of a V1 bomb,
from The Second World War,
and he turned it into,
locomotion with attitude.
This time it's a bomb
strapped to a bicycle.
Well no, it's a jet engine
strapped to a bicycle.
The pulse jet's not a bomb.
It's just an engine
like anything else.
It's just a kind of the
model T of jet engines.
As far as dangerous
it's about as dangerous,
as the car that you're driving.
Other than they get
extremely hot.
Bob's motivation is
pure and simple, he likes speed.
Loud is fun. Fire is fun.
Explosions are fun.
I guess that's the draw to it.
Being on
a limited budget,
he made his own V1 pulse
jet engine from scratch.
So I went to my shop
and I started chiseling away,
trying to figure out
how to make one work.
It took a few months but,
I finally got an
operational engine.
So I decided you know if
you're making something,
that makes a lot of
power and thrust,
you want to put it on
something to go fast.
So...
First thing I could really find
was an old cruiser bicycle,
that was leaning up against
the wall at my shop.
After the first
run on that rickety bike,
he was hooked.
It felt pretty darn good
because it pulled pretty hard.
It made about
60 pounds of thrust,
and it took off pretty good,
it was a lot of fun.
The little jet bikes
are a lot of fun to ride.
Bob used to spend
his time,
making tiny delicate
pencil strokes as a fine artist.
It really wasn't my speed,
and talking to all
the artsy-fartsy people.
I felt you know,
a little out of place.
It didn't hold my interest.
Like designing and building
the jet powered vehicles,
and stuff that I do.
Now he's molded
his talents into hand crafting,
these engines from
flat pieces of metal.
What I'm trying
to do is build up,
a limited edition really
high-end type of bikes.
Probably in the 25-60
thousand dollar range.
He also sells designs
engines and kits online.
So you too can build
your own jet powered stuff!
At first glance, the engine
just looks like an empty tube.
But that's just
the beauty of the design.
The whole tube
is the engine.
You set off an explosion
up in the front of it.
And all the gases rush out
the tailpipe.
Here's how it works.
The way the pulse
jet engine runs,
is it has to create turbulence,
that mixes the fuel
and the air together.
And when that fuel
and air mixture,
get down to the spark plug,
the spark plug sets it off,
and goes off like a cannon.
Boom! When it does, it shuts
this one-way reed valve,
causes all the gases,
to rush out of the tail pipe,
just like a canon.
At supersonic speed.
So that creates a suction.
It creates a negative pressure
inside the whole engine.
It opens the one-way reed valve.
Sucks air which mixes with fuel
that's spraying all the time.
And then there's so much
negative pressure here
that is sucks air all the way
back up the tail pipe.
And it brings some of the fire
from that previous explosion
back up with it and the fire
that it brought back up,
sets off that new charge
and bang it goes off again.
And like a canon again,
the whole sequence repeats.
So it's like a canon going off
70 times every second.
The complexity
of it all is forgotten,
when Bob forgets his pedals
and starts to melt metal.
When you're riding it,
you just have to get
it into your head
that you're riding
a motorcycle not a bicycle.
cause if you're thinking I'm
going 60 miles an hour
or 83 miles an hour,
you just don't want to think
that I'm on a bicycle
with bicycle tires.
You want to think I'm
on a motorcycle.
And it's going to hold together!
And those tires aren't going
to blow apart any second!
Bob's next project
is putting one of his engines
into a vintage Lakester.
The amount of thrust
in this one
could take Bob to speeds
of epic proportion.
So it only weighs about
700 or 750 pounds,
and the buzz bombs
weighed 4500 pounds,
and flew 400 miles an hour.
So it should be able
to go fairly fast.
His only
challenge with that,
will be getting the Lakester
back home with his bike,
at least he has options.
Good thing I have pedals.
Well that's it for today,
I'm Basil Singer.
Thank you very much
for watching,
How Tech Works.
See you next time.