All language subtitles for How.Tech.Works.S01E07.WEBRip.x264-ION10

[narrator] On this episode
of How Tech Works…

A mighty impressive car
with cutting edge technology...

from over a hundred years ago.

And...

this piece of future tech
from the European Space Agency

is turning more than a few heads
as it gets ready for a trip...

to Mars!

[show opening]

Hello there!
My name is Dr. Basil,

and for the next half hour
you won't want to be anywhere

but right here as we check out
incredible tech stories

from around the globe.

Today on How Tech Works
we get up close and personal

with a hurricane
and several bolts of lightning.

Talk about a force of nature.
But first...

if I said the words 'hybrid car'

I'll wager you're likely
to think of a vehicle

built in the last
couple of years. Right?

Well what if I showed you a car
with cutting age Eco-technology

that's over 100 years old?

It's from the fine folks
at Porsche

and it's the coolest
set of wheels

since the turn
of the last century.

Take a look.

Porsche's Weissach test track
is usually closed to outsiders

but today journalists
from all over the world

are getting a sneak peak
at a one of a kind vehicle.

It's a replica of the Lohner
Porsche Semper Vivus.

A groundbreaking prototype

designed by Ferdinand Porsche
himself when he was only 23.

Way back in the year 1900.

The vehicle is reborn.

Painstakingly recreated
by the man behind the wheel.

My name is Hubert Drescher.

I'm a car body maker
by occupation.

This is the first operational
hybrid vehicle in the world.

We've got two single-cylinder
fuel combustion engines here,

which provide power
to two generators.

The electricity
that's produced there

flows directly into the electric
wheel hub motors

and the batteries.

If the combustion engines
are turned off,

then the electricity
from the batteries

directly powers
the wheel hub motors.

[narrator] It's called
Semper Vivus.

That's Latin for 'always alive'.

Because it's batteries
are kept alive by power

from the petrol engines.

It's got a range of 120 miles

which is really actually
quite impressive back then.

The Semper Vivus was
the first functional hybrid car

in the world.

And we at the Porsche Museum,

we want to document
this great idea

to our audience.

And at the moment
Porsche started

a big hybrid offensive,

and for that reason this car is
a great symbol of innovation,

for the ideas
of Ferdinand Porsche.

[narrator] When the Porsche
museum commissioned Hubert

to recreate Semper Vivus,

they also handed him
a big problem.

They didn't have any plans.

My god.

The only surviving record,
a couple of photographs.

One.

And two.

When Porsche asked me whether
I could replicate this vehicle,

I was really surprised.

We only had two photographs
to refer to,

and I was thinking to myself,

how on earth would we be able

to construct something like this

let alone replicate it?'

[narrator] Hubert's goal:
to be as true to the original

as possible.

He's got a workshop in Germany's
Black Forest region

where he restores cars
and builds replicas.

First we had to carry out
extensive research.

It was crucial for us to gather
as much information as possible.

[narrator] He gathers
information from archives

and scrutinizes the photos.

He uses some calipers

to calibrate the diameter
of the front wheel

with its hub motor.

From the technical
descriptions we had,

I knew that the wheel diameter
was 875 millimeters.

Given that measure,
I was able to scale up

measurements from the photos.

With the measurements
he builds the car

using 3D engineering software.

On top of the challenge
of having only

a few photos to refer to,

the photos showed the vehicle
from one side only.

We didn't know what
the car looked like

from the opposite side,
nor the rear, nor the front.

So Huber has to rely
on his 26 years of experience

working on old cars.

He has to reverse-engineer
Sember Vivus

figuring out how all the parts
work together.

Then the build starts.

Some parts he makes himself

others are outsourced

using Hubert's engineering data.

The rear tires come from
a vulcanizer in Frankfurt.

They aren't shaped properly
so Hubert has to shape them

on a lathe.

The project takes three years

and costs about half a million
pounds.

Just before he finishes
his reconstruction

the Porsche museum finds
an original sketch

of Semper Vivus
at an auction.

It confirms
that Hubert's proportions

are pretty much bang on.

Back at Weissach...

the petrol engines
are being a little fussy.

Just when I have to
showcase it on camera!

A little starter fluids

does the trick.

The replica even reproduces

the quirks
of the original prototype.

For example.

only the central battery case
has suspension.

to protect the glass-covered
batteries from bumps.

When you sit in it,
the entire vehicle body moves

from side-to-side.

It takes a bit of
time to get used to.

[narrator] Top speed
for Semper Vivus

about 25 miles an hour.

It could go faster
but it's not a good idea.

You really have to
get used to the fact

that the vehicle
is relatively fast

compared to the
steering capabilities

the driver has.

If you drive too fast
you won't be able

to keep up with the steering.

Early in the last century

automotive engineers
turned away from electric power

because of the weight
of the batteries.

But today,
things have come full circle

and electric power is back.

It's really a very
special feeling

when you sit on top
and drive a vehicle

that you built yourself.”

Now it's time to
return Semper Vivus

to the Porsche museum.

An awesome symbol of innovation
for its time

and far too precious
to be driven on the open road.

When it comes to innovations
in the space industry,

let's face it,
most people usually think

of NASA

but the European space agency is
developing an incredible piece

of future tech
called 'Eurobot'.

This two armed,
stereo-vision martian robot

is the star attraction
in a dress rehearsal

for the 56 million kilometer
journey to Mars.

And it's taking place
in the Spanish desert.

This is a robotic space rover.

It's got four wheels, two arms,
and a camera system

for extra terrestrial
reconnaissance missions.

We are here to basically,
for the first time,

test it out in a real Mars-like
environment.

Phillippe Shoonejans
is essentially

this robot's guardian.

As project director
with the European space agency,

he's decided it's time
to take the Eurobot

on its first field trip
to Rio Tinto, Spain.

Up to now we have tested it
in the lab

It was designed to work
in a real environment

but now we need to do it
and we have to make sure

that nothing breaks
and we have to see whether

the cameras can make their
way through obstacles,

so it’s absolutely
important to test it

in the real environment

[narrator] With 3D vision

and transformer like arms
that have interchangeable tools,

this robot is designed to be
an astronauts best friend.

It weighs nearly 600 kilograms.

And it can carry about
150 kilograms

The weight
of one fully loaded astronaut

and a cargo.

But it's agile too.

It can reverse and turn
on a penny.

[man] Our goal is to
look at different ways

of performing tasks on the
surface of the planet.

So this could be either
with people alone,

or it could be the combination
of people with robotics.

Or the robot alone.

We want to measure how effective
all of this is.

[narrator] Eurobot doesn't move
very fast though.

Only about three miles per hour.

But it can respond
to voice commands

or the movements
of the joystick.

It can go totally by itself
or it can be telly operated

from either the earth
or it can be commanded

from somebody
within an orbiting station

around the moon or around Mars,
and then you can operate it

without time delay.

[narrator] In development
for eight years now,

many are wondering
if and when it might be set

on a mission.

It could be ready in maybe
10 years or so,

but I think
the more important question is

when does Europe or the world
want to go to the moon or Mars

with people?

And only then will it be used

so I think it is a more
political question

than a technical one
at the moment.

For now,
one small test

for the Eurobot on earth

in preparation for a giant leap
on the moon or Mars.

I think first go to the moon as
it is a lot closer and easier.

And the next step would be Mars.

But that's far away
and I am not sure

I'll be there to enjoy it.

Coming up on How Tech Works:

What happens when you put
a human in a wind tunnel

and subject him to
hurricane force winds?

Well, fearless reporter
Dan Riskin

is about to find out

all in the name of
tech journalism

Zap! We visit a lab
in Cardiff, Wales

that uses super high powered
lightening

to test the next generation
of airplane materials.

Welcome back to How Tech Works.
I am Dr Basil.

Now you might call
this next segment

lightening in a bottle
or maybe lightening on a plane.

Have you ever
wondered what happens

to a commercial aircraft

when lightning strikes it
mid flight?

Then this story
will hit the spot.

A lab in Cardiff

uses super high power
lightening

to test the next generation
of airplane materials

and the results
just may shock you.

But you know,
in a good way.

[lightening]

Lightening.
One of the most powerful forces

in nature.

A real lightening bolt
is about 3000 amps

has three times as much current.

Lightening circuits might draw
say one amp.

And a kettle might use ten.

But here we got 100'000
which is a lot bigger.

We make lightning
to test airplane parts.

Now that's really important
because air-crafts get hit

by lightning around
once per year.

Normally that's not a problem.

Things with very
good conductivity

don’t really blow up at all.

So, Aluminum
with no paint on top

nothing is going
to happen there.

To demonstrate that,
Phillippe bolts a piece of plane

to his blasting table.

This test is going to be
to Aluminum.

It’s what aircraft are made of
most of the time.

We’re putting in a very fine
fuse wire

because we’re not interested
in it conducting,

We just want it
to breach the gap

between the electrode
and the plate.

Creating lightning
is pretty easy.

We turn the chargers on.

We put the energy
into the capacitors

Once they’re full,
we get to press the fire button.

That sends compressed air
down to the switch

which rams one piece of copper
towards another

and then when it's close enough,
it sparks over.

[narrator] Phillip wants
a detailed record

of what happens when his
lightning hits the metal.

The camera we’ve been using
is a high-speed camera.

We’ve been running it at about
30-thousand frames per second

which seems optimal.

[narrator] With a very small
apparature setting.

It’s insanely bright. It's
about 200 million watts

just in the arc
that we're looking at.

And that's intense.

[narrator] It has to be
processioned perfectly.

Okay, I'm taking it up, Chris.

Out in the lab itself

it sits inside a metal box
to protect it from all the RF”.

Is it high enough, Chris?

and it's got a piece
of plexiglass in front of it

to stop any debris,
hitting its lens damaging it

Ready here. Carry on.

We connect to it
via Fiber optics and control it

from a laptop
in our control room.

[narrator] Then the entire lab
is cleared and locked down.

Alright, the camera is ready.

Do you want to start
the charging?

Charger on.

Charger off.

-Ready to fire?
-Fire.

Okay we got it.

[narrator] On video
everything looks good.

This captured really nicely.
We can really see

exactly where the arc
was and we can see

the reflecting in the
aluminum surface.

If that was the
wing of an airplane

it would be absolutely fine.

[narrator] Even with Philippe’s
super lightening

there's barely a mark
on the aluminium.

Slight blemish on the surface.

Superficial really.

[narrator] That's great news
for the planes today

but Phillippe has his
eye on the future

when planes will be made
out of Carbon Fiber.

Aircraft companies want to use
Carbon Fiber

because it's a lot lighter.

And it resists fatigue
so much better than aluminium.

But there's a downside.

It isn't so good
against lightning.

It’s 500 times more resistant,

which means it's
500 times harder

to get electricity
to go through it.

And it does get 500 times hotter
when you hit it with lightening.

If you just had untreated
Carbon Fiber,

with no means of conducting
the current around it,

it's almost certainly
gonna have a hole in it.

And that's not good.

[narrator] Building a plane
out of untreated Carbon Fiber

would be suicide.

So Phillippe tests Carbon Fiber
coated with a thin layer

of conductive metal.

-Okay, ready?
-Fire.

I think we got it.

Phil, this looks good.
Wanna come out and look?

That’s just the top few plys

that have evaporated
under the epoxy,

but let's take out and
have a look on the other side.

-There you go, Chris.
-Absolutely nothing.

So, all's good.

Aircraft skin is absolutely fine
for use in flight.

[narrator] The layer
of conductive mesh did its job.

And you can see that it's not
good enough to carry

all the current
in one small area.

But it doesn't have to be.

Once it's gone around
about this big,

the current going out through it

it isn't enough to melt it

even though we've got
100 thousand amps

Phillippe will continue to test
a variety of coatings.

different metals
and different frequencies.

All to make sure,

planes of the future
can survive the biggest blasts

that mother nature
can dish out.

And while we're on
a perfect storm kick,

You weather buffs out there

most unpredictable
and devastating phenomena.

Thankfully not many
of us will ever experience

a hurricane first hand

But we found someone
who will.

All in the name of science.

Meet Dr. Dan Riskin.

Our intrepid reporter.

Hurricanes, one of natures
deadliest forces.

[man] Ripping winds,
surging waters

combining to cause destruction
of a massive magnitude.

Getting caught in one?
Definitely scary.

Choosing to experience one?

Maybe crazy.

How do you find out
what it's like to be

in a hurricane
without actually having to be

in a hurricane?

You have to find a big
chamber where they can blow

a lot of wind at you
and a lot of rain.

Check this out.

Alright we’re in the wind tunnel
before we get up to hurricane

let's just try to see what
it's like in a tropical storm.

Most can 'weather'
a tropical storm.

[laughs]

[tropical storm simulation]

High winds and heavy rain
are nasty alright.

But they often get worse.

A hurricane can span the size
of a small country

and last for days.

Alright.

We're gonna see what
a real hurricane feels like.

I've got a helmet,
got goggles.

I got a windbreaker
and I am harnessed to the ground

so I don't go
blowing out of here.

[wind]

I’d say this is windier
than I’ve ever experienced.

Going to go a little higher.

[laughs]

This is starting to feel
like I am skiing.

This is a hundred kilometers
an hour.

Alright now it's getting...

this is a little bit extreme.

It's hard to believe it could be
this windy in the real world.

I’m now going 150 kilometers
an hour.

This is insane.

[hurricane simulation]

Wow this hurts.

My clothes are hitting my skin
hard enough that it's...

[screams]

Turns out I made it past the
category two and into a three.

Sustaining winds
of 200 km an hour.

The only reason I could handle
that is because I was tethered,

right?

On your two feet,
you would have flown.

So I managed these winds
all tied down.

But we wanted to show you
what category 3 winds would do

to a street sign.

First, safety.

Flying steel could hit us
or slice through the mesh

protecting the fans

Mistakes no one wants to make.

So what do you guys think
is gonna happen to this?

Well we’re going to see a bit
of resonance on that sign.

Just like a standing wave,
sort of a wiggle?

Well, you’re going to get
more than a wiggle.

-It's about to fall.
-Take it down.

Going down.

It sure blows your mind

that the wind can
bend metal like that.

If a category three
can bend metal,

we're gonna see if a category 5
can move metal.

A 1200 kg compact car
to be exact.

Even with steel chains as
anchors, and the roof tied down,

wheels are spinning

and this car is getting
pushed around.

Look at the hood.

[laughs loudly]

Alright so you've seen
what the wind does to a car,

but in a hurricane
there'd be rain too right?

So let's throw some
of that in.

I think I get why you're
not supposed to go outside

during a hurricane.

In addition to everything else
that's cool about that story,

I love the fact
that it's actually someone's job

to create
and build those wind tunnels.

Just imagine if it was you,

and someone asked you at
a cocktail party what you did.

Yeah, I make wind tunnels.

I've got loads of fans.

Get it? See what I did there?

Well that's all the time
we've got for today.

Thank you very much
for watching

How Tech Works.
Until next time, I'm Dr. Basil.

[ending music]