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[narrator] On this episode
of How Tech Works..
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00:00:10,472 --> 00:00:12,474
Trying not to have a blast.
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00:00:12,674 --> 00:00:16,445
How cutting edge technology
is being used to diffuse bombs
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00:00:16,912 --> 00:00:19,181
from World War II
that are still live!
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00:00:19,615 --> 00:00:22,985
And... we meet a husband
and wife team responsible
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00:00:23,051 --> 00:00:25,954
for some of the coolest
vehicle designs,
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00:00:26,054 --> 00:00:27,890
all built from scratch.
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00:00:28,690 --> 00:00:31,426
[show intro]
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[upbeat electronic music]
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Hi there!
My name is Dr. Basil
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00:00:43,572 --> 00:00:46,308
and you are in
for one phenomenal episode
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00:00:46,375 --> 00:00:47,609
of How Tech Works.
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00:00:48,043 --> 00:00:50,179
We’re going to go
ten rounds with a life-size,
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00:00:50,679 --> 00:00:52,781
rock-'em, sock-'em
mechanical boxer.
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00:00:53,215 --> 00:00:54,216
Plus, we’ll see
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00:00:54,283 --> 00:00:56,685
how the creation
of a lunar land rover
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00:00:56,752 --> 00:00:58,554
requires hi-tech knowhow...
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00:00:58,954 --> 00:00:59,955
and ping pong balls.
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But first...
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00:01:01,123 --> 00:01:02,824
the team of two
in this next story
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perfectly captures
the creative spirit
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00:01:05,794 --> 00:01:07,663
of invention and innovation.
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00:01:07,963 --> 00:01:09,698
Not only have they
been working together
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00:01:09,765 --> 00:01:12,267
on their hand-made
creations for years,
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they are also
husband and wife.
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So, really, you could call it
a labor of love
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that is equal parts
art and science.
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I present to you...
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the drivable dragons.
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[narrator] Inside this workshop,
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evil is lurking.
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Right now,
it’s just lines on paper.
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But soon,
this husband and wife team
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will unleash their beasts
on the world!
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Introducing...
the serpent twins.
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The serpent twins
are Jolungul, and Jormungand.
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I can’t even pronounce the names
of these things. [chuckles]
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[Kyrsten]
Jolungul is the rainbow serpent.
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So she’s a bringer
of light and hope.
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While Jormungand is what
we’re always sort of afraid of
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out in the dark.
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00:02:02,484 --> 00:02:04,419
[narrator] With thousands
of custom built parts,
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00:02:04,853 --> 00:02:06,955
an arsenal
of intricate electronics,
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and just a few months
‘til burning man festival,
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for these two,
there’s no time to rest.
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It’s a really big
project for us.
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I hope our marriage survives.
[chuckling]
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[narrator] Jon Sarriugarte
and Kyrsten Mate
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have been building wild wheels
since their marriage in 2004.
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The first year we were together
we built a crazy little art car
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for Burning Man
called the SS Alpha Fox.
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After that, we decided
to build a giant snail.
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What ended up being
the Golden Mean.
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The next project we did
was the electrobyte.
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It’s a trilobite,
prehistoric vehicle
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that we built on a wheelchair.
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And then, did the Zeppelini,
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which is
kind of a steampunk vehicle
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for World War II.
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[narrator] This time around,
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the team is taking their cue
from an unlikely source.
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Sitting in an airport
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and watching the little
tug motors drive around
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the, uh, baggage carts.
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And I thought, wow,
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that would be
a really cool little creature.
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I really like how that moves.
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So that was my inspiration.
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[narrator] But instead
of baggage carts,
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Jon and Kyrsten are using
sleek 55-gallon drums.
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Ten white plastic
and ten black steel.
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To match the scale
of the barrels,
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I knew I needed
a fairly narrow vehicle,
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00:03:24,833 --> 00:03:26,902
that also had
a good tow capacity.
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So I, I spent months
looking for that vehicle.
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[narrator] When a local
car factory closed down,
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opportunity
knocked on Jon’s door
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in the form of a three-wheeled
warehouse cart.
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- Two for twelve hundred bucks.
[clanging]
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[Jon] They’re made to tow,
so they were perfect for us.
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A lot of torque,
not a lot of speed.
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[narrator] The next challenge;
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building
an unforgettable light show
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into the belly
of their beasts.
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[upbeat electronic music]
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[Kyrsten] We’re adding
a lot more of the,
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this kind
of cutting edge technology,
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that actually, I don’t know how,
we’re going to accomplish.
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[Jon]
We’re pushing the envelope
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on almost all this stuff.
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[narrator] The rainbow serpent
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has 300 fully programmable
red, green and blue LEDs
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per barrel.
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Linked
to custom built software,
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moving patterns of any color
can be sent from head to tail.
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For the dark serpent,
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the team took
a different approach.
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[Kyrsten] We laid out
a pattern of scales,
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and then cut them out
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00:04:26,929 --> 00:04:29,765
and popped each scale out
a little bit,
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so it made a scale pattern
through the whole thing.
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[Jon] We filmed fire,
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and then used that,
that playback loop,
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in the LEDs so,
from a distance,
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it, it’s pretty
convincing that it’s on fire.
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[narrator] Now the final part,
and biggest challenge of all.
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Turning all these parts
into two giant snakes.
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There’s a lot of technical
skills in this project...
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Blacksmithing, sheet metal work,
welding, uh, finish work.
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At this point,
we have 40 people on the crew.
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[narrator] As usual,
one of those members
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is Jon and Kyrsten's
five year old daughter,
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Zolly May.
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I remember when we first
took her to preschool
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and her telling everybody,
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"Oh, I have a giant snail!"
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And the teachers
sort of looking at me
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and looking at her and going,
"Yeah right, a giant snail."
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[futuristic music]
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[narrator] As the electronics
and metal work
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00:05:19,581 --> 00:05:20,816
finally come together,
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00:05:21,250 --> 00:05:24,286
five months of hard work
light up the Oakland night.
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I was just like, "Oh, my God!
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Look at this thing.
This is just gorgeous!"
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I was so exhausted
that I never had that moment.
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[narrator] Out on the plain
at Burning Man,
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as the grand finale unfolds
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the giant serpent twins
look right at home.
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[Kyrsten] When we finally
took them out there,
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00:05:41,236 --> 00:05:44,706
it was so great to see
everybody look at them.
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They were just floored,
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and it was really,
it was really great...
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[Jon] It’s moments like that,
when you realize,
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we did a really good job,
and it was very successful.
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And appreciated.
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This next story
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has a slightly different
tone to it,
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as it underscores the necessity
for having high-tech expertise
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in critical and explosive
job situations.
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You see,
even though World War II ended
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more than six decades ago,
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astoundingly,
there are still live bombs
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in some of Germany’s
busiest centers.
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So we take you now
to Brandenburg,
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where you will meet members
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of the highly skilled
bomb squad.
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If you think
your job is stressful...
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take a look at this.
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[narrator] Bernd Schäfer
is a troop leader
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in Brandenburg’s bomb squad.
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Today he’s on his way
to investigate
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a possible live bomb.
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One of 30,000 that fell
on his town in World War II.
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As opposed to any other place
in Germany,
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the problem that we
face here in Oranienburg
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is that during the war
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bombs with time-delay fuses
were dropped.
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[narrator] Today,
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the 40,000 residents
of Oranienburg
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live over hundreds of tons
of unexploded munitions.
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The most lethal of the lot:
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An American-built time bomb
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that's still ticking
after all these years.
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The danger is that these kinds
of bombs
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can explode at any time.
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It’s already happened
six times in Oranienburg,
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when bombs suddenly blew up
all by themselves.
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[narrator] Any movement could
set them off...
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So if they can't
be immobilized and defused...
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The town is evacuated
for a kilometer
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in every direction.
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[man counting down in German]
[bomb exploding]
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[narrator] And the bomb squad
detonates them.
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Today’s threat...
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a large metal object
has been detected
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beneath
a residential neighborhood.
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A bomb detection contractor
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is carefully digging
to take a closer look.
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Bernd knows that
precision is paramount...
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Because one of these
time-delay bombs
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just killed
three of his colleagues.
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[sirens]
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It happened a few days ago
in Göttingen.
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When they tried to defuse
a bomb at a construction site.
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Word from police sources is...
Somebody made a wrong move.
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Well, it was a truly
sad occasion.
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And the lesson we’ve learned
from all of this
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is that we need to concentrate
and focus on our work.
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[narrator] Oranienburg was
targeted for intense bombing
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because atom bomb-related
work was going on there.
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To cause chaos,
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one in five bombs had
time-delay fuses in the tail.
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As they fall...
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00:08:30,205 --> 00:08:32,107
rushing air
turns an arming vane.
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00:08:32,307 --> 00:08:34,109
It turns a threaded spindle,
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Which crushes an ampoule
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containing
the solvent acetone.
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The acetone dribbles down
and soaks a piece of felt
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00:08:41,049 --> 00:08:42,050
the bomb hits...
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00:08:43,218 --> 00:08:44,386
But it doesn’t explode.
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The acetone slowly eats away
at celluloid parts
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00:08:48,690 --> 00:08:51,159
holding back
a spring-loaded firing pin.
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00:08:52,194 --> 00:08:53,529
By controlling how fast
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00:08:53,595 --> 00:08:55,597
the acetone
consumes the celluloid
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00:08:55,964 --> 00:08:58,734
detonation can be delayed
to up to six days.
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00:09:00,135 --> 00:09:02,037
But when these bombs
hit Oranienburg
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00:09:02,171 --> 00:09:05,474
many of time-delay fuses
were slowed down even more...
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00:09:05,807 --> 00:09:06,875
It’s because of the soil.
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00:09:07,009 --> 00:09:09,077
The town is built
on marshland.
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00:09:09,578 --> 00:09:12,281
On top,
a layer of wet, soft soil.
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00:09:12,514 --> 00:09:13,982
And beneath that, gravel.
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00:09:14,716 --> 00:09:15,717
When bombs hit...
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00:09:16,552 --> 00:09:19,054
Many bounced off the gravel
and turned nose up.
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00:09:19,288 --> 00:09:21,557
So the acetone
dripped the wrong way,
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00:09:21,790 --> 00:09:23,125
leaving only fumes
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00:09:23,225 --> 00:09:25,260
to slowly eat away
the celluloid.
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00:09:25,761 --> 00:09:26,762
On the surface,
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00:09:26,828 --> 00:09:28,130
life went on as usual.
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00:09:28,197 --> 00:09:29,198
But underground,
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00:09:29,431 --> 00:09:31,500
the firing pin
remained cocked...
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00:09:32,034 --> 00:09:33,168
[explosion]
222
00:09:33,235 --> 00:09:34,469
[narrator]
...and easily triggered.
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00:09:36,471 --> 00:09:38,841
[Bernd] When someone submits
a building application,
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00:09:39,007 --> 00:09:40,909
Brandenburg’s bomb disposal team
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00:09:41,009 --> 00:09:44,713
assigns a company that scans
the area for explosive weapons.
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00:09:46,748 --> 00:09:47,749
[narrator] At today’s site
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00:09:47,950 --> 00:09:50,519
A truck loaded with hay bales
is standing by;
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00:09:50,819 --> 00:09:53,889
used to dampen the shockwave
if a bomb has to be blown up.
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00:09:57,726 --> 00:10:00,562
The foreman says there’s
still half a meter to go.
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00:10:00,796 --> 00:10:02,631
They still don’t know
if it’s a bomb.
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00:10:02,731 --> 00:10:04,933
But they’ve checked
aerial reconnaissance photos
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00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:06,502
taken here during the war.
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00:10:06,568 --> 00:10:08,303
Tiny craters give clues
234
00:10:08,370 --> 00:10:11,173
to where time-delay bombs
might still be today.
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00:10:11,306 --> 00:10:14,209
Next step: the company
sends out a survey crew.
236
00:10:14,376 --> 00:10:17,579
They sink plastic pipes
five meters into the ground,
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00:10:17,913 --> 00:10:19,715
and drop in a magnetic probe.
238
00:10:22,284 --> 00:10:24,453
Metal things that can
be found in the soil
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00:10:24,520 --> 00:10:26,121
emit magnetic fields.
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00:10:26,822 --> 00:10:28,757
The probe measures
this magnetic field,
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00:10:28,857 --> 00:10:30,592
which is then printed out
as a graph.
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00:10:32,694 --> 00:10:33,729
[narrator] In this case,
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00:10:33,795 --> 00:10:35,797
the probes show
there’s something big and metal
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00:10:35,864 --> 00:10:37,266
about five meters down.
245
00:10:40,536 --> 00:10:42,471
If we’re dealing
with a time-delay fuse,
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00:10:42,738 --> 00:10:44,740
every measure
will be taken immediately
247
00:10:45,174 --> 00:10:47,342
to ensure that the whole area
is locked off
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00:10:47,743 --> 00:10:49,745
and that the bomb
is disabled the same day.
249
00:10:50,479 --> 00:10:53,916
If defusing it is not possible,
we detonate the bomb.
250
00:10:54,349 --> 00:10:55,751
[narrator]
Live time-delay bombs
251
00:10:55,951 --> 00:10:57,686
are almost always nose up.
252
00:10:58,153 --> 00:11:00,522
They expose the tail
to get at the fuse.
253
00:11:02,391 --> 00:11:04,927
[Bernd] The bomb is stabilized
by chains and ropes
254
00:11:04,993 --> 00:11:06,795
so that there is
no movement at all.
255
00:11:07,462 --> 00:11:08,463
The key thing
256
00:11:08,530 --> 00:11:10,199
is to concentrate
on groping one’s way
257
00:11:10,432 --> 00:11:12,868
to the tail of the bomb
without moving it.
258
00:11:12,968 --> 00:11:14,636
[narrator] To defuse it,
they set up
259
00:11:14,703 --> 00:11:17,206
a remote-controlled
high-pressure water jet.
260
00:11:17,639 --> 00:11:18,774
Inside the jet,
261
00:11:18,841 --> 00:11:20,709
grains of sand
cut through the thread
262
00:11:20,776 --> 00:11:22,411
that joins the fuse
to the bomb.
263
00:11:22,978 --> 00:11:23,979
The bomb is dead...
264
00:11:24,446 --> 00:11:25,881
when the fuse is pulled out.
265
00:11:27,616 --> 00:11:28,951
Then it’s safe
to move the bomb
266
00:11:29,017 --> 00:11:31,153
to the Brandenburg
bomb squad’s depot,
267
00:11:31,453 --> 00:11:34,156
where it is carefully stacked
with other munitions...
268
00:11:34,623 --> 00:11:36,425
-and detonated.
[explosion]
269
00:11:38,827 --> 00:11:40,162
It’s really staggering to think
270
00:11:40,229 --> 00:11:42,497
that we’ll be dealing
with this deadly toxic Waste
271
00:11:42,965 --> 00:11:46,068
for maybe the next
50 years here in Oranienburg.
272
00:11:47,035 --> 00:11:48,036
[narrator] Over the years,
273
00:11:48,103 --> 00:11:50,772
large areas of the town have
been swept clean of bombs,
274
00:11:51,240 --> 00:11:52,407
but everyone knows
275
00:11:52,741 --> 00:11:55,878
hundreds still remain...
Underfoot,
276
00:11:55,978 --> 00:11:57,179
waiting to explode.
277
00:11:59,515 --> 00:12:01,817
Coming up on "How Tech Works".
278
00:12:02,351 --> 00:12:04,219
When an air pump
is not an option...
279
00:12:04,319 --> 00:12:06,822
Gum balls just
might be the answer!
280
00:12:07,289 --> 00:12:10,592
We're pumping up the Mars
land rover's new set of wheels!
281
00:12:11,059 --> 00:12:12,961
And Take your best shot!
282
00:12:13,529 --> 00:12:16,031
Boxer jocks let you release
your inner beast
283
00:12:16,198 --> 00:12:18,967
without all those annoying
bruises and black eyes!
284
00:12:24,273 --> 00:12:25,941
Welcome back
to "How Tech Works".
285
00:12:26,008 --> 00:12:28,010
I’m Dr. Basil.
This next story,
286
00:12:28,076 --> 00:12:30,212
takes a look
at a very different set
287
00:12:30,279 --> 00:12:31,580
of inventive minds...
288
00:12:31,813 --> 00:12:32,814
Their task?
289
00:12:32,881 --> 00:12:35,117
To use wire mesh
and ping pong balls
290
00:12:35,350 --> 00:12:37,452
in the construction
of the next generation
291
00:12:37,519 --> 00:12:38,554
of land rovers.
292
00:12:38,854 --> 00:12:41,823
But this vehicle isn’t set
to 'rove' just any land.
293
00:12:42,090 --> 00:12:43,192
It’s heading to mars.
294
00:12:43,358 --> 00:12:45,761
Just wait 'til you see
what they came up with!
295
00:12:46,428 --> 00:12:51,400
[upbeat music]
296
00:12:51,567 --> 00:12:53,135
[narrator]
Climbing a new frontier...
297
00:12:54,670 --> 00:12:55,704
[Basil] Oh yeah!
298
00:12:56,705 --> 00:12:58,507
[narrator]
These wheels are getting a grip
299
00:12:58,574 --> 00:13:01,910
on what it really might ‘feel’
like on the moon or mars..
300
00:13:02,778 --> 00:13:06,949
We have plains, hills,
rock falls, a mesa,
301
00:13:07,015 --> 00:13:08,784
we even have a large crater...
302
00:13:09,384 --> 00:13:11,920
[narrator] It’s a space-junkie’s
dream test site.
303
00:13:12,387 --> 00:13:15,357
The 'Mars Yard'
at the Canadian Space Agency.
304
00:13:15,791 --> 00:13:18,927
Today, mechanical engineers
from McGill University
305
00:13:19,228 --> 00:13:22,264
are putting prototype
lunar rover tires to the test.
306
00:13:22,798 --> 00:13:23,799
What I can tell you
307
00:13:23,866 --> 00:13:26,468
is that the iRings prototype
that you see today,
308
00:13:26,768 --> 00:13:29,271
is a unique concept
that was developed in Canada.
309
00:13:29,838 --> 00:13:32,374
[narrator] Peter Radzieszweski
is leading the charge.
310
00:13:32,841 --> 00:13:34,443
He and his McGill pit crew
311
00:13:34,676 --> 00:13:36,612
have been tasked
with developing wheels
312
00:13:36,678 --> 00:13:39,848
that can move
the 7,000,000 pound Juno rover
313
00:13:39,915 --> 00:13:40,916
on another planet.
314
00:13:42,117 --> 00:13:45,954
[man] Canadarm II will be
relocated back to the Z-I...
315
00:13:46,021 --> 00:13:47,956
[Peter]
That could become as iconic
316
00:13:48,056 --> 00:13:51,493
as say the Canadarms
on the space shuttle,
317
00:13:51,593 --> 00:13:54,596
or the robotic systems
on the space station.
318
00:13:54,696 --> 00:13:56,899
[man] This is exciting!
This is like... Geez!
319
00:13:57,332 --> 00:14:00,903
They wanted us
to look at traction...
320
00:14:01,870 --> 00:14:03,739
heel traction, particularly.
321
00:14:04,306 --> 00:14:06,975
[narrator] Undergrad teams
started to roll around ideas.
322
00:14:07,576 --> 00:14:09,278
Uh, one
of our undergraduate teams,
323
00:14:09,344 --> 00:14:10,345
two and a half years ago,
324
00:14:10,412 --> 00:14:12,614
basically came up with this
design, this wheel design.
325
00:14:13,048 --> 00:14:14,950
When you lift it and drop it,
326
00:14:15,017 --> 00:14:17,052
[clanking sound]
327
00:14:17,119 --> 00:14:18,120
it bounces around;
328
00:14:18,620 --> 00:14:21,089
similar to what you’d have
with a pneumatic tire.
329
00:14:21,423 --> 00:14:22,424
That’s interesting,
330
00:14:22,491 --> 00:14:24,459
but in a vehicle that’s
going on the moon,
331
00:14:24,526 --> 00:14:25,527
it hits a rock,
332
00:14:25,994 --> 00:14:28,130
it will basically
bounce off that rock.
333
00:14:28,230 --> 00:14:29,765
[narrator]
A flash of inspiration.
334
00:14:30,132 --> 00:14:32,668
This simple tumbling mill
got heads spinning.
335
00:14:34,536 --> 00:14:37,573
And this is where we came
to that idea of a mill
336
00:14:38,173 --> 00:14:39,608
having particulates in it,
337
00:14:40,309 --> 00:14:42,878
filling that, uh, in a tire
338
00:14:43,312 --> 00:14:45,514
and, uh,
basically seeing what happens.
339
00:14:45,581 --> 00:14:47,749
And this is what happens
in this particular case
340
00:14:47,850 --> 00:14:50,786
So... it absorbs
that impact energy,
341
00:14:51,086 --> 00:14:53,789
so, uh,
potentially this wheel here
342
00:14:53,856 --> 00:14:55,691
would allow a lunar rover
343
00:14:56,191 --> 00:15:00,462
uh, to travel faster,
absorb impacts more easily.
344
00:15:00,562 --> 00:15:01,563
[narrator] Inside,
345
00:15:01,630 --> 00:15:04,299
small plastic balls
the size of marbles.
346
00:15:04,566 --> 00:15:05,767
Thousands of them.
347
00:15:06,168 --> 00:15:08,337
Next, Peter looked
to his son’s playroom
348
00:15:08,437 --> 00:15:09,438
for inspiration.
349
00:15:10,239 --> 00:15:12,341
All the signs said, you know,
I can make this.
350
00:15:13,041 --> 00:15:14,042
So, I went home,
351
00:15:14,776 --> 00:15:15,978
took my son’s bean bag
352
00:15:16,078 --> 00:15:20,282
and we, I basically machined
two or, uh, two discs
353
00:15:20,649 --> 00:15:22,618
that basically formed
the rim of the wheel
354
00:15:22,684 --> 00:15:25,087
and I sandwiched the bean bag
between the two discs
355
00:15:25,420 --> 00:15:26,989
and that was the first mock up.
356
00:15:27,456 --> 00:15:29,391
[narrator] It worked...
but needed refinement,
357
00:15:29,491 --> 00:15:31,493
and some inspiration
from the armor
358
00:15:31,560 --> 00:15:32,561
of the middle ages.
359
00:15:34,530 --> 00:15:36,398
It’s basically composed
of three elements.
360
00:15:36,498 --> 00:15:39,101
There’s the central rim
which is rigid.
361
00:15:39,201 --> 00:15:41,603
There’s the tire part
which is actually chainmail,
362
00:15:41,670 --> 00:15:42,871
it’s a fabric,
363
00:15:42,938 --> 00:15:45,174
and then what’s,
what's inside is particulate.
364
00:15:45,240 --> 00:15:47,042
Which is, uh,
in this case plastic balls.
365
00:15:49,278 --> 00:15:50,879
[narrator] They created
the tire small enough
366
00:15:50,946 --> 00:15:52,781
to fit on this
remote control car.
367
00:15:53,148 --> 00:15:55,450
Then, like kids,
they let it rip.
368
00:15:55,851 --> 00:15:59,388
And even gave the small scale
rover a run at the big yard.
369
00:15:59,955 --> 00:16:00,956
Success!
370
00:16:01,323 --> 00:16:02,357
Now, size it up.
371
00:16:02,424 --> 00:16:04,126
Sixty one centimeters
372
00:16:04,726 --> 00:16:06,261
put a shiny red rim on it
373
00:16:06,461 --> 00:16:09,298
and enough weight to burn
some serious metal.
374
00:16:10,232 --> 00:16:11,633
Nervous yes and no.
375
00:16:12,601 --> 00:16:14,303
Uh, we’ve done our own tests,
376
00:16:14,803 --> 00:16:17,873
we’re very confident with the
results that we’ve obtained,
377
00:16:18,240 --> 00:16:19,474
uh, quite successful,
378
00:16:19,875 --> 00:16:23,946
uh, now it’s very much
to give it to the CSA
379
00:16:24,012 --> 00:16:26,682
and basically say, "Okay,
well, do your best to break it."
380
00:16:27,649 --> 00:16:29,785
So, We did try it sideways.
381
00:16:30,285 --> 00:16:32,721
Yes, we tried it
forward, backwards.
382
00:16:33,388 --> 00:16:36,325
[narrator] Erick Dupuis
heads up robotics for the CSA.
383
00:16:37,259 --> 00:16:39,494
With a close eye
and hands on the controls,
384
00:16:39,561 --> 00:16:41,330
he scrutinizes
the performance.
385
00:16:42,231 --> 00:16:45,567
[man] It's very good
at absorbing the shocks
386
00:16:45,634 --> 00:16:47,603
and making sure
that you don’t bounce around.
387
00:16:48,637 --> 00:16:51,473
Uh, it is very good
at conforming to the terrain.
388
00:16:52,040 --> 00:16:56,345
The disadvantage is it also
takes more energy to drive.
389
00:16:56,812 --> 00:16:59,047
[narrator] Still,
these tires easily navigate
390
00:16:59,114 --> 00:17:00,115
the obstacles here.
391
00:17:00,549 --> 00:17:05,654
Over walls, down hills
and into craters..
392
00:17:06,788 --> 00:17:08,991
Several other
space organizations
393
00:17:09,057 --> 00:17:12,361
have recognized the importance
of having flexible wheels
394
00:17:12,461 --> 00:17:15,564
and of all the models
that I've seen,
395
00:17:15,831 --> 00:17:19,301
this one with the chainmail
and particle filling,
396
00:17:19,368 --> 00:17:21,837
the iRings concept
is truly unique.
397
00:17:21,937 --> 00:17:22,971
I'm impressed!
398
00:17:23,205 --> 00:17:26,942
Being able to see it on this
scale is like... great!
399
00:17:27,676 --> 00:17:29,611
[narrator] So have a good look
at these tires here.
400
00:17:29,845 --> 00:17:32,648
Soon you might see them
with a familiar logo...
401
00:17:32,981 --> 00:17:35,517
in a galaxy far, far away.
402
00:17:40,856 --> 00:17:43,525
And last,
but by no means least.
403
00:17:43,859 --> 00:17:45,661
You all know the movie
Toy Story, right?
404
00:17:45,727 --> 00:17:47,829
Woody and Buzz Lightyear
and the rest of the gang?
405
00:17:47,896 --> 00:17:51,333
well one of the fascinating
things about that movie
406
00:17:51,533 --> 00:17:53,735
is the notion of toys
actually coming to life.
407
00:17:54,102 --> 00:17:57,139
The inventor in this next story
couldn't agree more.
408
00:17:57,472 --> 00:18:00,375
He just decided to take it
one step further.
409
00:18:00,776 --> 00:18:01,777
Take a look.
410
00:18:01,877 --> 00:18:03,512
[upbeat music]
411
00:18:03,579 --> 00:18:05,881
[narrator] Take a good look
at these characters.
412
00:18:06,315 --> 00:18:09,318
Questionable form...
way past their prime.
413
00:18:09,852 --> 00:18:11,720
Okay, gentlemen. Let's have
a good, clean fight.
414
00:18:12,254 --> 00:18:15,090
[narrator] Yet, determined
to bare-knuckle it anyway.
415
00:18:15,157 --> 00:18:20,195
[engines rumbling]
416
00:18:23,565 --> 00:18:24,566
[narrator] Today,
417
00:18:24,766 --> 00:18:27,736
heads will roll,
but no blood will spill.
418
00:18:28,704 --> 00:18:30,372
This is a cage match
419
00:18:30,472 --> 00:18:32,174
for the not-so
rough and tumble.
420
00:18:32,975 --> 00:18:36,311
Inventor Mark Wild
calls them "Boxer Jocks".
421
00:18:36,411 --> 00:18:38,614
A lot of wives and husbands
422
00:18:38,981 --> 00:18:40,716
like to duke it out
amongst themselves.
423
00:18:41,350 --> 00:18:43,018
[narrator] Knocking your
opponent’s block off
424
00:18:43,118 --> 00:18:45,354
is exactly what
this fight is all about.
425
00:18:45,988 --> 00:18:47,289
[Mark] It gives you the thrill
426
00:18:47,389 --> 00:18:50,526
of participating
in a boxing match
427
00:18:50,626 --> 00:18:53,128
and of course,
you will not get hurt.
428
00:18:53,896 --> 00:18:55,531
[narrator]
Every neck-breaking blow
429
00:18:55,631 --> 00:18:56,865
earns the striker a point.
430
00:18:57,299 --> 00:18:58,333
When you do get hit,
431
00:18:58,400 --> 00:19:01,703
you feel a slight nudge
from the other person's glove
432
00:19:01,770 --> 00:19:04,973
and the gloves will give you
a slight cushioning effect
433
00:19:05,040 --> 00:19:06,975
where it's not
too shock-intensive
434
00:19:07,042 --> 00:19:08,410
on your machine.
435
00:19:08,877 --> 00:19:11,380
The arms are controlled
by pneumatic cylinders
436
00:19:11,547 --> 00:19:15,017
Basically the arm motion
is like this... semi-automatic.
437
00:19:15,117 --> 00:19:16,952
Push the button,
the arm comes up
438
00:19:17,719 --> 00:19:20,055
and the arm retracts
when you release the button.
439
00:19:21,156 --> 00:19:23,759
[narrator] Three minute rounds
provide ample opportunity.
440
00:19:24,560 --> 00:19:27,763
Upon getting hit by the machine
441
00:19:27,863 --> 00:19:31,333
we have an inside scoreboard
that indexes the scoreboard up
442
00:19:31,433 --> 00:19:34,469
and the lightbar that signifies
that you have been hit.
443
00:19:35,304 --> 00:19:38,207
[narrator] But winning
takes moves like Lennox Lewis.
444
00:19:38,640 --> 00:19:39,875
[Mark]
You're constantly moving.
445
00:19:40,309 --> 00:19:42,611
The better riders
move forward and backward
446
00:19:42,678 --> 00:19:44,112
and are always pivoting around.
447
00:19:44,947 --> 00:19:46,782
The less coordinated riders
448
00:19:46,849 --> 00:19:49,818
go static and then they just
try to punch out each other.
449
00:19:51,753 --> 00:19:54,423
The base is driven
by a hydraulic system
450
00:19:54,890 --> 00:19:57,392
that controls
the mobility of the machines
451
00:19:57,459 --> 00:19:59,361
through two joystick controls.
452
00:19:59,428 --> 00:20:02,331
The person controls the pivoting
action of the machines
453
00:20:02,397 --> 00:20:05,534
to put your robot
in the strategic position
454
00:20:05,601 --> 00:20:08,337
where you can knock
the opposing robot's head back.
455
00:20:08,437 --> 00:20:10,105
[fighting sounds]
456
00:20:10,205 --> 00:20:11,507
[narrator]
Remind you of these guys?
457
00:20:12,040 --> 00:20:13,075
Boxer Jocks
458
00:20:13,175 --> 00:20:14,176
are a life-sized version
459
00:20:14,243 --> 00:20:15,677
of the rock-’em,
sock-’em robots.
460
00:20:16,378 --> 00:20:17,713
[narrator] Precisely the goal.
461
00:20:18,313 --> 00:20:22,317
Mark Wilde takes making his
boxing bots pretty seriously.
462
00:20:22,684 --> 00:20:23,719
And for good reason.
463
00:20:23,819 --> 00:20:25,387
Getting them fight-ready
464
00:20:25,554 --> 00:20:27,322
has been
a different type of battle.
465
00:20:27,956 --> 00:20:30,058
Our first
pre-production prototype
466
00:20:30,125 --> 00:20:32,761
started off
with electric drive vehicles
467
00:20:32,828 --> 00:20:36,365
that were somewhat larger
than the boxer jock units now,
468
00:20:36,431 --> 00:20:38,000
they were some eight feet tall,
469
00:20:38,600 --> 00:20:41,637
fifteen-hundred pounds
but we found them too unwieldy.
470
00:20:41,703 --> 00:20:43,038
So that is why we went
471
00:20:43,138 --> 00:20:44,973
to the gasoline
internal combustion engine
472
00:20:45,040 --> 00:20:48,343
which would give us longevity
in terms of ride cycle,
473
00:20:48,443 --> 00:20:50,479
and we carefully honed
the design down
474
00:20:50,546 --> 00:20:52,881
to make it more reliable
and more flexible.
475
00:20:52,981 --> 00:20:55,350
It is something that is,
476
00:20:55,417 --> 00:20:58,453
uh, I have been working on
for the past 15 years
477
00:20:58,921 --> 00:21:02,424
and right now starting
to mass market the machines.
478
00:21:03,358 --> 00:21:04,760
[narrator]
His biggest challenge?
479
00:21:04,860 --> 00:21:06,895
Ensuring these guys
can take the heat.
480
00:21:07,129 --> 00:21:11,200
[electronic music]
481
00:21:11,300 --> 00:21:12,801
[Mark] They do take
a lot of punishment
482
00:21:12,901 --> 00:21:15,037
in the atmosphere
of the game cycle
483
00:21:15,137 --> 00:21:18,240
and therefore we have
to make a durable product
484
00:21:18,340 --> 00:21:19,675
that is long lasting.
485
00:21:20,475 --> 00:21:22,644
[narrator] Today,
they're performing like champs.
486
00:21:23,145 --> 00:21:24,146
Good thing.
487
00:21:24,213 --> 00:21:25,547
Because after this test match
488
00:21:25,614 --> 00:21:27,249
they’re headed
to an amusement park,
489
00:21:27,316 --> 00:21:28,550
where the hits won’t stop.
490
00:21:29,184 --> 00:21:31,119
Building a set
of machines for a customer
491
00:21:31,186 --> 00:21:34,323
will take approximately
three to four weeks
492
00:21:34,389 --> 00:21:37,259
if all the parts
are in inventory.
493
00:21:38,126 --> 00:21:40,462
[narrator] Which means you can
settle a grudge of your own
494
00:21:40,529 --> 00:21:41,530
pretty quickly.
495
00:21:42,197 --> 00:21:44,566
It's a game, it's a game. Yes.
496
00:21:44,666 --> 00:21:46,335
The machine
takes all the punishment
497
00:21:47,202 --> 00:21:49,037
and it is just
basically an enhancement
498
00:21:49,137 --> 00:21:50,739
of the ego for the winner.
499
00:21:53,175 --> 00:21:56,645
[electronic music]
500
00:22:00,282 --> 00:22:02,851
[making robot noises]
501
00:22:06,555 --> 00:22:08,490
Ooh, you caught me
robot dancing there. [chuckles]
502
00:22:08,590 --> 00:22:10,325
That’s all the time
we’ve got for today.
503
00:22:10,392 --> 00:22:12,661
Thank you very much
for watching How Tech Works,
504
00:22:12,961 --> 00:22:15,697
until next time,
I’m Dr. Basil Singer. Bye-bye.
505
00:22:15,764 --> 00:22:17,032
[ending music]
38980
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