All language subtitles for How.Tech.Works.S01E01.WEBRip.x264-ION10

[narrator] On this episode
of How Tech Works...

This massive model is being
built by flying robots!

And its success is giving city
planners some very big,

very real-life ideas.

And we'll check out a car
that's not only a speed demon

it's also
devilishly good on fuel!

[futuristic music]

Hi there, and welcome to
How Tech Works ,

the show that is jam-packed with
the latest gear and gadgets

from the world of science
and technology.

My name is Dr. Basil Singer.

On this episode...

we'll meet a man who creates,
and drives, a speed machine

without ever leaving the comfort

of his living room
recliner chair.

Plus...

an incredible brick-laying
device in the Netherlands

that's putting big smiles on
the faces of road crews

and some of the locals, too.

But first...

here at How Tech Works, we love
stories about flying machines.

So let's head off to France
to meet a group of designers

who are building a model city

using tiny flying robots
to do it!

Take a look.

[futuristic music]

[Narrator] At an Arts Centre
in Orléans,

hundreds of people turn out
to watch machines,

called quad copters,

raise robotic construction to
new heights...

piece by piece.
[applause]

Robotic construction is the
future of architecture.

[D'Andrea]
The objective is to build

a six-meter- tall structure,
something never done before,

with fully autonomous vehicles.

[narrator] The structure
is an architectural model

made from 1500 pieces,
called modules.

Each module
must be positioned precisely

or else the structure
could collapse.

The only part humans play
is putting glue on the modules

and placing them in a dispenser.

The quadcopters do the rest.

The project, called
Flight Assembled Architecture,

was created in Switzerland.

A team at ETH Zurich designed
the robotic system.

Its leader is Canadian
researcher, Raffaello D'Andrea.

[D'Andrea] We're trying
to push the boundary

of what autonomous
systems can do,

in particular flying vehicles.

[narrator] The structure was
designed by the Swiss architects

Fabio Gramazio
and Matthias Kohler.

It's called
The Vertical village.

By building
with the quad copters

you can actually
place each module

at the specific point in space.

And those modules don't have to
be in a repetitive manner,

but they can actually create
more diverse shapes and forms,

as you see in
the undulation of the structure.

Furthermore, I think,

one advantages is
you don't need any scaffolding

to build up
really high constructions.

[narrator] Each module
would be 30 meters long

and 10 meters high.

[Kohler] So each of those
modules can actually be,

for example,
a large-scale cinema space,

like a movie theatre,

or it could also be 6 apartments
within such a module.

[narrator] When the village
reaches 60 storeys,

it could house
up to 30,000 people.

For the model,

the modules are represented
by polystyrene bricks.

The quad copters pick them up
by pushing pins into them.

The quad copters have
limited intelligence.

They have
an on-board computer.

They have sensors.
They have actuators.

Just think
of them as little athletes,

but they are not
very intelligent.

The intelligence for our
flying vehicles is off-board.

[narrator] On the ceiling:
motion capture cameras.

They map the locations
of marker balls on the robots

so the computers know precisely
where they are in 3D space.

The software runs itself
like a real construction team

following a blueprint

with a master program
acting as foreman,

controlling every crew member.

[D'Andrea]
The system is inherently robust.

It can imagine doing
something this complicated

as putting these bricks down
with changing conditions,

the brick height was changing,
lighting was changing.

[narrator] If a module is
positioned off center,

sensors detect it
and the system corrects itself

and re-positions the module.

In Orléans, the build starts

two days before
the crowd appears.

The quad copters get power at
wall-mounted charging stations,

then begin delivering modules

at a rate of about 80 an hour.

The foreman assigns no-fly
zones around each robot

so there are no
mid-air collisions.

Before the audience arrives,

the quad copters successfully
position over 700 modules.

The structure reaches
about three meters

almost halfway there.

[electronic music]

When the crowd appears the
robots resume their work.

[D'Andrea] It really was
a wonderful, magical experience.

There was all this tension
leading up to the people seeing

for the first time,
an autonomous flying vehicle,

carrying a module in space
and put it on the structure.

And they were flying
above the heads of the people,

in the audience.

You felt the thrust of the wind.

Everyone in the crowd
was going "0o! Ah!"

[narrator] The quad copters
lay down another 125 bricks

before the audience goes home.

And the next day,
in front of a smaller crowd

they work to finish the job.

They reach the final storey,
number 60. Six meters high,

and crown it...
with the final module.

[applause]

An architecture
made by flying robots

reaches a whole new level.

Wow flying robots!

Definitely a case of
what will they think of next.

Well, the machine in our next
story is more conventional...

somewhat.
A petro-fueled sports car

that gets more than
100 miles to the gallon?

You've got to
see it to believe it!

[vibrant music]

[narrator] Joe Justice
has got a lot of volunteers.

[Joe] Forty four volunteer
team members in four countries

and that was
completely unexpected

I didn't mean to
be growing a volunteer team.

[narrator] That's what happens

when you come up
with a great idea

for a super fuel efficient car.

I did simulations of lightweight
safe designed chassis

that I was working on
and they were returning

right around 70 miles
per gallon in simulation.

And I blogged everything
that I discovered

and everything that
didn't go well

and folks started
visiting the shop

to see how this was unfolding.

And they ended up
staying and volunteering.

[narrator] Joe's named his car
wikispeed.

Wikispeed is based on
the Hawaiian word for speed...

Wikiwiki.
[car engine roars]

[narrator]
It's a seriously fast car.

Zero to sixty comes in
right about five seconds

[narrator] It can reach a top
speed of 143 miles an hour.

But that's not why
Joe named it wikispeed.

The body of the car
is carbon fiber

and we are able to
detach that from the car

to make changes to it quickly
without redeveloping the car.

[narrator] The car
is a little bit like lego.

You have the main frame

and everything else can be
swapped out quickly.

We are able to
make changes quickly

because our vehicle is modular.

[upbeat music]

[Joe] The engine, the entire
drivetrain is a module,

the transmission,
the cooling system,

the fuel system,
the emissions system.

It all rolls out together
and we can test another one

in about the time
it takes to change a tire.

[narrator] Joe's team
is working on

all sorts of body types for
wikispeed, but today

they are getting the sportier
version ready for a test run

We care about aesthetics
as much as we can

but the governing factor
is efficiency.

Efficient shapes happen to be
what people think is sporty

and beautiful right now,
so it's really lucky for us.

But the shape of the car
is dictated by aerodynamics

and by safety, and lucky for us

it ends up looking like
a Le Mans style race car.

[narrator]
With looks like this

you'd think Joe's driving
a gas guzzler.

A hundred miles worth of awesome
is how it is running.

[engine roars]

[Joe] Right now
we're probably getting

about 125 miles per gallon

around town cruising
at this speed is pretty high.

[narrator] It runs on petrol.
This is not a hybrid car.

Joe's maximized fuel efficiency
by making wikispeed

aerodynamic and light.

The chassis
is extruded aluminum,

a similar tech to what Lotus,
Jaguar, and Aston Martin use.

We use an extremely light
set of aluminum extrusions

and then provide an aerodynamic
shape outside them,

made of all carbon fiber.

It was making more...

noise vibration and harshness
than I would have liked.

I think our next step for this
body is going to be

upgrading some bushings
and sound deadening

so that it's
a more comfy, cozy ride.

I am going to drill
two bolt holes on each side

and put bolts through the body
into the body mount frame.

and that is going to
help calm down

some of the noise vibration
and harshness

that we're experiencing today.

Should give it
a little quieter ride.

[narrator] Bryan Ford has a lot
of experience working on cars.

He found out about
the wikispeed project online

and immediately got involved.

In fact, his wife and three sons
are also helping out today.

You're alright.
You're alright. There you go.

You gotta
push your butt through.

[woman] Now see that bolt right
there that Colton has through?

-[kid] Uh-huh.
-Can you screw that on please?

Tomorrow if somebody
invented an engine

that we could pour tap
water in the gas tank

and drive our car,

we don't have a 10 year
production cycle

to put that technology
in our vehicle.

All we have to do
is retool our engine module.

And that engine module plugs
directly into our main frame.

[narrator]
Things move fast around here

but Joe
is not compromising on safety.

This simulation shows
how the entire frame

shares the stress of impact.

[Joe] The car gets
a five star crash equivalency.

It's, to our knowledge, the
lightest chassis in the world

to achieve a five star
crash rating equivalency.

[narrator] A fast, sexy,
super fuel efficient car

that can be upgraded quickly.

No wonder everyone is flocking
to help Joe build wikispeed.

[Joe] Wikispeed is exceeding
all of my expectations.

I originally thought this was
going to be a small project

that I would take on by myself,

and the collaborative team
that I never counted on

and I never anticipated,

has enabled us to do
10,000 times more

and much faster than I ever
could have tried to do on my own

and I never anticipated that.

[narrator] And the best
thing of all,

you can order your own wikispeed
online for about £15,000.

[tires screech]
[upbeat music]

Do not move!

We've got more ridiculously
cool stories coming your way

After the break...

This amazing machine
lays bricks

to make a brand new road...

All with the press of a button!

And... Yup this is
a living room recliner

zipping along at speeds
of up to 35 km per hour.

And we're going to
meet its creator.

[upbeat music]

Hi there! And welcome back
to How Tech Works.

I'm Dr. Basil Singer.

Now, we all know
that laying bricks

can be a really,
really tough job.

But, a recent Dutch innovation

may just about
change all of that.

About an hour's drive
south of Amsterdam,

we discovered some new
technology called tiger-stone.

Have a look for yourself.

[vibrant music]

This is Wega Straat
in Veldhoven, Netherlands.

And today,
it's getting a makeover.

These guys work fast.
But it's a back-breaking job.

That's why they're getting a
hand from tiger-stone.

[Alexander]
Tiger-stone is a paving machine

that comes in a four
or five or six meter width.

And what it does,
it paves the road.

[narrator] Alexander Hardebol
has the unenviable task

of maneuvering
the monster machine

into the tiny European street,

under the curious, watchful eyes
of workers and neighbors alike.

He manages to squeak it into
place with inches to spare.

[Alexander] My first impression
was a very big machine

and I heard it, I thought,
no it cannot be true.

The stones come out of
the machine as a carpet.

And I saw it the first time
and I thought wow this is great.

[narrator] That's right,
this machine rolls out roads.

[Alexander] When they start,

the machine is like
two meters backwards

and they start
making the pattern.

And they work up
into the machine.

[narrator] As the road workers
build up the pattern,

one enthusiastic resident
can't resist pitching in

much to their amusement.

Now I can tell my grandchildren,

grandma helped
build this street!

[narrator] Once the patterns
built up, guys climb on board

and fill the chute to the top.

Then, with a push of a button,
they roll the machine backwards.

[Alexander] It's like Tetris.

The stone seeks its own way

and then fits
on the other stones

so you don't have to put,
when you are on your knees,

you need to hammer the stones
with your hands

at the right place.

But with this machine, you can
let the stones glide down

and they find their way.

[narrator]
Guided by a curb-side sensor,

it unfurls
a perfect patch of road.

When the machine
is working at 6m wide,

it's 1500 kilos
that pushes the stones down.

And that's all gravity.

And that's why it gets,
it tightens

and it locks the stones,
and it pushes them to the side.

[narrator] Tiger-stone takes a
lot of pressure off the pavers.

[Alexander] Normally they
sit on their knees all day long,

and they got sore knees.

Their hip is wearing.

Their back is hurting them.

And they need to work
a lot of years.

What we did,
we brought the road up

so they can stand.

And the first time, they all,
especially the older pavers,

they say, "no, I don't want to
stand on that machine, bla, bla"

but, when they work
a week with it,

they are so excited,
they really love it.

[narrator] It's not only
easier, it's faster too.

Normally they make, let's say
100 square meters one person

and with this machine,
150 square meters a day.

[narrator] Tiger-stone
is remarkably quiet

because it's electric.

You don't have the noise all
day from a big diesel motor.

[narrator] And guys no longer
have to sit out a job

because of weather.

We also have machines
with a cover on top of it

so they can work when it's
raining or when the sun is very,

it's burning, they are out of
the... they work in the shade.

And then when it rains,
they are dry.

[narrator] Alexander is a big
fan of the machine.

but he's not the inventor.

[upbeat music]

Oh yeah, that's a special job.
That's my job.

I'm the engineer of the machine.

[narrator] Henk Van Kuijk
got the idea

when his own street was repaved.

The project took almost a year.

It was rainy...
It takes too long!

So I said, "Okay it's marvelous,
the people on their knees..."

and I said maybe I can better!

[narrator] He made it easy to
use for one very simple reason.

We don't have enough young
bricklayers here in Holland.

How do you say that?
It's not so popular.

[narrator] And yet,
roads in Europe

and other parts of the world

are still being paved
with stone.

[Alexander]
The benefit instead of asphalt

is when you need to work
in the sewers or cables,

or whatever,
you can open up the road,

you can fix it,
and you can put the road back.

It's very common in
the Netherlands

that we use
these kinds of stone.

And you see now in countries
where it's very hot,

there's the asphalt melting

and you see now
that they are also

going to these brick stones.

[narrator] So it seems
there's a long and bright

road ahead for the tiger-stone.

Ok, so you've got
a need for speed.

maybe there's a new sports car

or new motorcycle
on your wishlist?

But, you're having trouble
putting the financing together.

Well, you're gonna love
our latest story.

Let me introduce you
to Chris Mackintosh,

a fellow who makes
fast vehicles,

which in itself
is not very unusual, I know.

It's just that the vehicles
Chris makes are a little...

How shall I put it? ... Weird.

Ladies and gentlemen, gearheads
and techno-lads, I bring you...

recliner guy.

[upbeat music]

[narrator]
125 cc motorcycle engine

nine horsepower,

four strokes.

Top speed?

Well, Chris Macintosh
is no La-Z-Boy.

So, way too fast for
his mother's living room.

For Chris, kicking back

means break-necking it
on the open road.

I guess I kind of
have a need for speed.

And... You know, just going fast
in your car doesn't quite do it.

[narrator] So he turned
a Craigslist recliner

into a modern man's
road warrior.

[Chris] The ergonomics
are comfortable, really.

There's a foot panel up front

so you have a firm place
to put your feet when you're,

you know,
holding on for dear life.

And the racing harness

just makes it feel
that much more exciting.

When you are driving it, it's
a white-knuckle ride I guess.

It's really meant
for smooth surfaces,

that's when it handles best.

Side-to-side it is very stable.

It's got a lot of weight
keeping you on the ground.

There's a wheelie bar
to prevent backwards tipping

which does happen
on acceleration

if I want to do a wheelie.

[narrator] And Chris wants
to do wheelies. Wouldn't you?

Crafting cool creations
from found objects

isn't new
for this engineering student.

He's already built a hovercraft,

an air-powered potato gun,

and a moped.

But nothing brings out
his inner gear-head

quite like
this motorized recliner.

It's controlled by
basic go-kart steering,

kinda the go-kart
steering linkage.

There's a steering wheel.

The shifting is
electro pneumatic.

So there is compressed air that
powers a pneumatic cylinder

and that pneumatic cylinder has
valves on it

that are triggered by a switch
on the steering wheel.

[narrator] And because Chris
dropped more than

just loose
change under these cushions.

Well over $1,000 for sure,
maybe, probably close to 2,000.

[narrator] He needs to see his
investment pay off in speed.

In terms of the race,

I... just hope nobody gets hurt.

[narrator] He's pitting
his motorized recliner

against his makeshift moped.

I had this old BMX bike
lying around

and I had this
leaf blower engine

that was part of my hovercraft.

And... I'd been thinking
for a while

it'd be really cool to use this
engine to do something else,

you know, especially something
that would just go fast.

[narrator] The recliner
is Chris' favorite.

[Chris] In addition to speed,
it is very comfortable.

It's definitely a
luxury vehicle I would say.

[narrator] So his buddy,
Julian, gets the bike.

Julian is pumped.
That thing also flies.

But Chris is oozing confidence.

The recliner has been performing
like a monster all morning.

He's eyeing a win.

Until the monster
loses its roar.

[woman] So what's going on?

Some electrical issues
with the shifting.

[narrator] Chris is stumped.

When I turn it on...
there is a buzzing.

[narrator] It's not
a good sign.

[Chris] There's something
going on in this box.

I want to take
the box lid off.

We need a Philips.

[narrator] After a lot
of prodding and probing,

he still can't get the
compressor to fire.

Eventually, he comes
up with a workaround.

We'll have to manually turn
the compressor on and off.

[narrator] Shifting manually
will slow the recliner down,

but the race is a go.

They take their marks.

You ain't got nothing.

[narrator] And it seems Julian
is the one sitting pretty now.

You're going down, buddy.
You ain't got nothing.

[man] Set... go!

[narrator] Just seconds
after they are off

one thing becomes very clear.

Never bet against the house,

especially when it's
going 40 miles an hour.

Well,
that's all the time we've got,

Thanks for watching
How Tech Works.

Until the next time...

I'm Basil Singer.

[ending music]