This year’s Green Aviation Show (Salon de l’aviation verte) in Paris featured a fascinating entry, dubbed the Scubster, a pedal-powered green, mean, personal submarine.
Built completely out of lightweight carbon fiber, the Scubster , a single seater yellow submarine measuring 13.78 feet will reach a top speed of 10kph (6.2mph) speed powered solely on human pedal power. Designed by Minh-Loc Truong and built by Stephane Rousson and a team of University engineers the Scubster will be an exploration tool for scuba divers and Scientists working in the oceanographic field.
The Scubster will be pedaled by a Scuba Diver with separate air tanks and scuba gear. The pedals will turn a drive shaft that is connected through a series of gears to two propulsion blades on either side of the sub. A set of control rudders will allow the pilot to control the up down left and right motion, and also the ability to put the sub in reverse is available. The Scubster has been tested to dive up to a depth of 6m or 20ft.This human powered submarine recently completed its first sea trials in the Côte d’Azur (French Riviera), France.
The designer’s goal of creating this green submarine is to take part in next year’s International Submarine Race, which is scheduled to be held at the Naval Surface Warfare Center-Carderock Division, Bethesda, Maryland between June 27 and July 1 2011. The competition is hosted each year by the Foundation for Underwater Research and Education (FURE), where each team must develop a one or two-person “Wet” submarine. Two-person subs must have one person providing the propulsion and the other navigating and steering. Both crew members breathe SCUBA from the air supply carried aboard
