Original subtitles

Narrator: AROUND THE WORLD, THE RACE TO WIN WARS

AND EXPLORE THE UNIVERSE HAS CREATED

SOME OF THE MOST INCREDIBLE PRODUCTS EVER DESIGNED

AND WE USE THEM EVERY DAY,

UNAWARE OF THEIR AMAZING ORIGINS.

ON "INCREDIBLE INVENTIONS"...

THE FLAG, A SIMPLE PIECE OF CLOTH WITH HUGE HISTORIC

AND SYMBOLIC SIGNIFICANCE.

THE HOVERCRAFT, A TRANSPORTATION MARVEL

THAT SEEMS TO DEFY THE LAWS OF PHYSICS.

AND EXERCISE EQUIPMENT, INTRODUCED BY THE GREEKS,

STILL KEEPING US FIT TODAY.

WE REVEAL THE AMAZING HISTORY

AND ENGINEERING BEHIND THESE "INCREDIBLE INVENTIONS."

♪♪

-- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

Narrator: THE FLAG, A SYMBOL OF NATIONAL PRIDE,

FANFARE AND RECOGNITION.

FLAGS ARE FLOWN EVERYWHERE,

FROM SPORTS STADIUMS

TO GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS ALL ACROSS THE WORLD.

WE'RE ALL FAMILIAR WITH THESE COLORFUL BANNERS,

BUT JUST HOW MANY OF US KNOW ABOUT THEIR MILITARY ORIGINS?

Man: IF YOU LOOK AT FLAGS BEING USED IN WAR,

YOU GOT TO GO ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE ANCIENT TIMES.

TO THE ROMAN STANDARDS AND THEIR EAGLES.

THEY'RE RALLYING POINTS THAT HAD THE IDENTIFICATION

OF THEIR LEGION.

WHEN YOU FOLLOW IT THROUGH, THE SAXONS AT HASTINGS,

THEY HAD THEIR STANDARD WAYS TO SHOW WHERE HAROLD WAS.

STILL TO THIS DAY, IN THE ARMY,

WE HAVE THE COLORS OF THE REGIMENT,

AND THEY ARE A RALLYING POINT, THE PRIDE OF YOUR REGIMENT,

THE PRIDE OF YOUR ARMY.

Narrator: IT'S A PRIDE THAT HAS BEEN TESTED

THROUGHOUT HISTORY IN COUNTLESS BLOOD-SOAKED BATTLES,

INCLUDING THE BATTLE OF BOSWORTH FIELD IN 1485,

WHEN MEDIEVAL LORD CHENEY IS KILLED

BY THE INFAMOUS KING RICHARD III

WHILE DEFENDING THE FLAG OF HIS MASTER, HENRY TUDOR.

IN 1879, LIEUTENANTS COGHILL

AND MELVILL LOSE THEIR LIVES

GALLANTLY TRYING TO DENY THE VICTORIOUS

ZULUS THEIR REGIMENT'S COLORS

AT THE BATTLE OF ISANDLWANA.

FLAGS ARE EVEN MORE IMPORTANT AT SEA

WHERE HUGE BATTLE ENSIGNS IDENTIFY EACH SIDE'S SHIPS

AMONGST THE CLOUDS OF GUNPOWDER SMOKE.

Hicks: ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING PARTS OF FLAGS

IN WARFARE IS THE NAVY,

WHERE ALSO THEY COULD BE USED IN SUBTERFUGE.

YOU WANT TO GET CLOSE TO THE ENEMY,

RUN UP ONE OF THEIR FLAGS.

BUT, OF COURSE, WHEN YOU GO ENGAGE THEM IN COMBAT,

YOU MUST RUN YOUR OWN FLAG UP.

OTHERWISE, IT'S BAD FORM.

Narrator: SAILING UNDER A FALSE FLAG

IS STILL AN ACCEPTED TACTIC

IN MODERN NAVAL WARFARE.

AND IT'S AT SEA WHERE FLAGS ARE FIRST USED

AS AN EARLY FORM OF PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE.

THE PIRATES' NOTORIOUS SKULL AND CROSSBONES,

KNOWN AS "THE JOLLY ROGER."

INDIVIDUAL GROUPS ALSO HAVE THE NEED FOR EASY IDENTIFICATION

AS MUCH AS ANY REGULAR ARMY.

REVOLUTIONS, FOR EXAMPLE, ARE BY THEIR VERY NATURE,

FAST-MOVING AND CHAOTIC.

AFTER THE PARISIAN MILITIA STARTS

WEARING HASTILY-ASSEMBLED RED AND BLUE CLOTHS IN THEIR HATS

DURING THE STORMING OF THE BASTILLE

IN THE FRENCH REVOLUTION OF 1789.

THE WHITE AND GOLD ROYAL STANDARD OF KING LOUIS XVI

IS CAST ASIDE IN FAVOR

OF THE VICTORIOUS TRI-COLOR OF RED,

WHITE AND BLUE,

A DESIGN WHICH STILL FILLS FRENCHMEN

WITH PRIDE TO THIS DAY.

THEN, TAKE THE MODERN FLAG OF MOZAMBIQUE.

IT CARRIES NOT JUST TRADITIONAL BANDS OF COLOR,

BUT ALSO THE IMAGE OF AN AK-47 ASSAULT RIFLE,

SIGNIFYING ITS STRUGGLE FOR INDEPENDENCE.

SO, A PIECE OF CLOTH BORN ON THE BLOODY BATTLEFIELDS

OF HISTORY CONTINUES TO REPRESENT NATIONS

AND ORGANIZATIONS AROUND THE WORLD TODAY.

THE FLAG -- TRULY AN INCREDIBLE INVENTION.

J.W. PLANT & CO., LIMITED,

IS A FOURTH-GENERATION FAMILY BUSINESS

AND HAVE BEEN MAKING FLAGS IN LEEDS, ENGLAND, SINCE 1908.

♪♪

THE FLAG DESIGN --

IN THIS CASE, THE SCOTTISH STANDARD FLAG --

IS LOADED INTO THE DESIGN SOFTWARE.

THE SPECIFIC COLORS ARE ASSIGNED AND CHECKED

AGAINST THE DESIGN.

THE DESIGN IS THEN SENT TO A LARGE-FORMAT INKJET PRINTER

WHERE IT IS PRINTED DIRECTLY ONTO THE FABRIC.

THE PRINTER PRINTS ROUGHLY 1 YARD IN 1 1/2 MINUTES.

IN THE U.K., WE TEND TO MANUFACTURE

MOST OF OUR FLAGS OUT OF POLYESTER-DERIVED FABRICS.

IT'S GOT VERY GOOD WEAR PROPERTIES, IT'S WASHABLE,

AND IT KEEPS THE SUBTLETIES OF LOTS OF THE OLDER MATERIALS.

Narrator: THE PRINTED DESIGN IS THEN FED THROUGH

A HEATING OVEN IN ORDER TO DRY AND BOND THE INKS

INTO THE FABRIC.

THE TEMPERATURE OF THE OVEN

IS APPROXIMATELY 400 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

THE PRINTED FABRIC IS PINNED AND STITCHED

ONTO A BACKING CLOTH

AROUND THE EDGES OF THE DESIGN,

SANDWICHING ANOTHER PIECE OF CLOTH IN BETWEEN,

WHICH WILL FORM THE MAIN BACKGROUND COLOR OF THE FLAG.

WASTE MATERIAL IS THEN CUT AWAY

FROM THE EDGE OF THE STITCHED DESIGN

TO FORM A RELIEF PATTERN.

THE OUTER EDGE OF THE BACKING CLOTH IS ALSO TRIMMED OFF.

♪♪

A SECOND PANEL IS PREPARED THE SAME WAY,

CREATING THE REVERSE SIDE OF THE FLAG WHEN IT'S COMPLETE.

NEXT, THE EDGES OF THE FLAG

ARE MEASURED AND MARKED FOR HEMMING.

THE FLAG IS THEN HEMMED ALL THE WAY AROUND THE EDGE

USING TWO ROWS OF BONDED, NYLON-THREAD STITCHES.

THERE ARE EIGHT TO TEN STITCHES PER EDGE.

A TASSEL BORDER IS CAREFULLY SEWN ON AROUND

THE EDGE OF THE FLAG.

NEXT, THE REVERSE SIDE PANEL

OF THE FLAG IS PINNED INTO POSITION.

THE PANEL IS THEN HEMMED

AND SEWN ONTO THE REVERSE SIDE

OF THE FLAG, COMPLETING THE PROCESS.

SO, THERE YOU HAVE IT.

THE FLAG, USED FOR IDENTIFICATION

AROUND THE WORLD FOR OVER 5,000 YEARS.

NOW, THAT'S A TRIED AND TESTED INCREDIBLE INVENTION.

WHILE FLAGS HAVE FLOWN IN BATTLES THROUGHOUT HISTORY,

OUR NEXT INCREDIBLE INVENTION

IS A FRICTION-FREE,

GRAVITY-DEFYING MARVEL.

Narrator: OUR NEXT INCREDIBLE INVENTION

TRAVELS FRICTION-FREE

AND IS ABLE TO TRAVEL AT SPEEDS

AND TO PLACES THAT BOATS,

TRUCKS AND CARS SIMPLY CANNOT.

THIS INCREDIBLE MACHINE IS CAPABLE OF TRAVELING

OVER A WIDE VARIETY OF SURFACES.

IT'S CALLED THE HOVERCRAFT.

BECAUSE IT CAN CARRY LARGE CARGO LOADS

AND IT'S ABLE TO LAND ON 3/4 OF THE WORLD'S COASTLINES,

THE HOVERCRAFT HAS BEEN

SUCCESSFULLY ADOPTED BY THE MILITARY.

HOVERCRAFTS CAN COVER MANY TERRAINS --

WATER, MUD FLATS, SANDY BEACHES.

IT CAN GO OVER OBSTACLES, GENERALLY OF A FEW FEET HIGH,

IT CAN CROSS A GULLY OF ABOUT 4 FEET

AND STILL MAINTAIN THE SKIRTS AND MOVE FORWARD.

SO IT HAS LOTS OF APPLICATIONS WHERE THE GROUND TERRAIN

SIMPLY ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH,

OR THERE IS NO INFRASTRUCTURE.

Narrator: THE HOVERCRAFT'S VERSATILITY COMES FROM

ITS ABILITY TO FLY JUST INCHES ABOVE THE TERRAIN'S SURFACE.

SO, WHAT IS THE MAGIC

BEHIND THE HOVERCRAFT'S ABILITY TO FLY?

THE HOVERCRAFT IS MADE UP OF A BODY, POWERFUL ENGINE,

FANS, RUDDERS AND A FLEXIBLE RUBBER SKIRT.

THE ABILITY TO HOVER COMES FROM A LARGE,

CENTRALLY-MOUNTED FAN

THAT BLOWS AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF AIR UNDER THE CRAFT.

AS THE RUBBER SKIRT CREATES A SEAL WITH THE SURFACE

BENEATH THE CRAFT, IT BEGINS TO INFLATE.

THE SKIRT SIZE DICTATES HOW HIGH ABOVE

THE SURFACE A HOVERCRAFT WILL RISE,

WITH EXCESS AIR ESCAPING FROM THE SKIRT

ONCE IT HAS REACHED ITS CAPACITY.

THE FLEXIBLE SKIRT ALSO HAS THE ABILITY

TO BEND AROUND OBSTACLES ON WATER AND LAND.

WITH THE HOVERCRAFT SITTING ON A FRICTIONLESS CUSHION OF AIR,

THE REAR FANS CAN THEN BE USED TO PROPEL THE CRAFT FORWARD,

WITH REAR RUDDERS PROVIDING THE STEERING

BY CHANNELING THIS BACKWARDS-BLOWN AIR

FROM SIDE TO SIDE.

THE EARLIEST HOVERCRAFT DESIGN GOES ALL THE WAY

BACK TO THE 1870s

WHEN A BRITISH SHIP BUILDER,

SIR JOHN ISAAC THORNYCROFT PATENTS A DESIGN

FOR AN AIR-CUSHIONED SHIP.

HOWEVER, HIS DESIGN CAN'T BE MANUFACTURED

SINCE A POWERFUL ENOUGH ENGINE

HAS NOT YET BEEN DEVELOPED.

A VISIONARY OF HIS TIME,

SIR JOHN ISAAC THORNYCROFT DREAMS

OF A SHIP THAT DOESN'T REQUIRE HUGE FORCE

OR POWER TO ACHIEVE GREAT SPEED.

IT WAS, HOWEVER, NOT UNTIL THE 1950s

THAT THE AIR-CUSHIONED SHIP DESIGNS

ARE PICKED UP AGAIN BY CHRISTOPHER COCKERELL,

A BRITISH MECHANICAL ENGINEER.

WHILE STUDYING THE RING OF AIR FLOW

WHEN HIGH-PRESSURE AIR

IS BLOWN INTO THE AREA BETWEEN TWO TIN CANS,

COCKERELL REALIZES THAT THE SHEET

OF FAST-MOVING AIR PRESENTS A TYPE OF PHYSICAL BARRIER

TO THE AIR ON EITHER SIDE OF IT.

HE CALLS THIS EFFECT "MOMENTUM CURTAIN."

HE DECIDES THAT THIS EFFECT

CAN BE USED TO TRAP THE AIR INSIDE A BARRIER.

THIS MEANS THAT WITH A SMALL AMOUNT OF ACTIVE AIR FLOW,

IT IS POSSIBLE TO PRODUCE LIFT.

WITH HIS REVOLUTIONARY DESIGN,

COCKERELL HAS CREATED THE MODERN HOVERCRAFT.

THE HOVERCRAFT BECOMES A COMMERCIAL VEHICLE

WHEN THE SRN1 SUCCESSFULLY CROSSES

THE ENGLISH CHANNEL IN 1959.

Man: THE FIRST DEMONSTRATION

OF THE HOVERCRAFT WITH CHRISTOPHER COCKERELL

WAS ACROSS THE CHANNEL BETWEEN DOVER AND CALAIS,

AND HE SHOWED THAT IT COULD WORK AS A VIABLE PRODUCT.

HE REALIZED THEN THAT THE SKIRT THAT HE HAD

NEEDED TO BE MORE FLEXIBLE BECAUSE IT HAD PROBLEMS

THAT DEAL WITH WAVES THAT ARE ABOUT A FOOT --

THAT'S 30 CENTIMETERS HIGH --

AND REALIZED HE CAN'T CAUSE PROBLEMS 'CAUSE IT WON'T.

IT NEEDS TO PERMANENTLY BE ABLE

TO PARTIALLY COLLAPSE AND THEN REFORM.

SO, ONLY A FEW YEARS LATER,

HE HAD A PRODUCT THAT WOULD WORK WITH

6- OR 7-FOOT-HIGH WAVES, AND COULD CROSS THE CHANNEL

AND BECOME A VIABLE COMMERCIAL PRODUCT.

Narrator: BECAUSE OF ITS SUCCESS AS A COMMERCIAL VEHICLE,

THE U.S. ARMY DECIDES TO USE IT

IN A TRIAL DURING THE VIETNAM WAR IN THE 1960s.

SOON MILITARY FORCES AROUND THE GLOBE FOLLOW SUIT.

TODAY, THIS VISIONARY CREATION IS USED BY ARMIES

AND FOR PASSENGER AND CARGO TRANSPORT,

BUT ALSO FOR RESCUE OPERATIONS AND SPORTING EVENTS.

A VEHICLE THAT CAN TRAVEL QUICKLY ON LAND,

ICE AND WATER IS DEFINITELY AN INCREDIBLE INVENTION.

WHEN WE RETURN, WE SHOW YOU

HOW TO BUILD YOUR VERY OWN FANTASTIC,

FLYING MACHINE ON "INCREDIBLE INVENTIONS."

Narrator: SIR CHRISTOPHER COCKERELL'S CREATION

MAY SEEM LIKE A SWIRLING,

COMPLICATED SYSTEM OF EXPENSIVE AND POWERFUL ENGINES,

BUT WE'RE GONNA SHOW YOU HOW TO MAKE

YOUR VERY OWN HOVERCRAFT FROM A FEW EVERYDAY ITEMS.

WE'VE COME TO THE "INCREDIBLE INVENTIONS" AIRCRAFT HANGAR

TO BUILD OUR OWN FANTASTIC FLYER.

TO START, YOUR MATERIALS.

YOU'LL NEED WOOD, SCREWS,

STRING, A MARKER, SPRAY ADHESIVE,

STAPLER, A SHOWER CURTAIN,

AND THAT FIRM DIY-ING FAVORITE -- DUCT TAPE.

TO BEGIN, WE WILL NEED TO CUT A LARGE,

CIRCULAR DISC FROM A PIECE OF WOOD.

TAP A SCREW ONTO THE CENTER OF YOUR WOOD

AND USE A MARKER PEN AND A PIECE OF STRING

TO DRAW THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF YOUR DISC.

NEXT, CAREFULLY CUT OUT YOUR WOODEN SHAPE WITH A JIGSAW.

AT ONE END OF YOUR DISC,

DRAW AND CUT A HOLE TO FIT SNUGLY AROUND THE POWER SOURCE

FOR YOUR PERSONAL HOVERCRAFT.

MORE ON THAT LATER.

NOW, FOR THE SKIRT.

TAKE YOUR SHOWER CURTAIN AND PLACE

IT UNDERNEATH THE ROUND BOARD

AND THEN PULL IT OVER THE TOP OF THE WOOD

AND CAREFULLY STAPLE THE MATERIAL

TO THE TOP OF THE DISC.

CUT OFF THE EXCESS TO LEAVE YOU WITH A NEAT FINISH.

GO ALONG THE EDGE OF THE SHOWER CURTAIN WITH THE DUCT TAPE

TO CREATE AN AIRTIGHT SEAL.

NOW, FLIP THE CRAFT OVER AND ADMIRE YOUR HANDIWORK.

WE ACTUALLY NEED SOME OF THE AIR TO ESCAPE FROM THE SKIRT,

SO MARK AND CUT SIX HOLES,

EQUALLY SPACED INTO THE SHOWER CURTAIN

AND USE MORE DUCT TAPE TO REINFORCE THE HOLES' EDGES.

DON'T FORGET TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL SMALL,

ROUND PIECE OF DUCT-TAPED WOOD

TO PROTECT THE UNDERSIDE OF THE CRAFT.

YOU'RE ALMOST READY. WE JUST NEED POWER.

STEP 4 -- THE BIGGEST INDUSTRIAL-SIZED

LEAF BLOWER MONEY CAN BUY.

SNUGLY FIX THE LEAF BLOWER INTO OUR PRECUT HOLE

AND WE ARE READY FOR BLASTOFF,

OR SHOULD THAT BE HOVEROFF?

WITH AN ADDITIONAL WOODEN RING TO REINFORCE THE TOP,

OUR COCKERELL-INSPIRED CRAFT IS COMPLETE.

BUT WILL IT ACTUALLY WORK?

WITH THE LEAF BLOWER PROVIDING THE WIND POWER

AND OUR PRODUCTION TEAM FOR FORWARD MOTION,

OUR TESTER HAS ACTUALLY CREATED HIS OWN PERSONAL HOVERCRAFT.

SO, THE ANSWER IS YES.

FLYING AROUND THE HANGAR ON A CUSHION OF AIR,

WE HAVE A REVOLUTIONARY,

LOW-COST TRANSPORTATION METHOD UP AND RUNNING.

AND IS IT READY FOR THE RIGORS OF CROSS-COUNTRY TRAVEL?

MM, PERHAPS NOT.

FROM THE TIME OF THE ANCIENT GREEKS TO THE MODERN DAY,

MEN AND WOMEN HAVE BEEN ON

A NEVER-ENDING QUEST FOR FITNESS,

HEALTH AND BEAUTY.

THAT QUEST HAS LED US TO DEVELOP GROUND-BREAKING

WORKOUT PROGRAMS, NUTRITION PLANS

AND EQUIPMENT THAT ALLOWS US TO STAY FIT, STRONG AND HEALTHY.

♪♪

CARDIOVASCULAR EXERCISE IS AN EXCELLENT WAY

TO INCREASE YOUR VITALITY,

TO REDUCE FAT AND BURN FAT,

TO MANAGE STRESS,

TO LOWER CHOLESTEROL, TO REDUCE YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE.

AND, IN MANY CASES,

IT'S A GREAT TREATMENT FOR THE AVOIDANCE

OF OR MANAGEMENT OF DIABETES.

Narrator: IT IS SAID THE BIRTH OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION

TOOK PLACE IN ANCIENT GREECE.

DEMOCRACY, DEBATE AND THE DRAMATIC ARTS

ARE JUST SOME OF THE GIFTS

THESE EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE GAVE TO THE WORLD.

THE GREEKS ALSO CREATE THE ANCIENT GAMES

WHERE A GROUP OF YOUNG MEN COMPETE,

SOMETIMES NAKED,

IN ORDER TO ENCOURAGE AESTHETIC

APPRECIATION OF THE MALE BODY

AND AS A TRIBUTE TO THE GODS.

THE GREEKS INVENT SEVERAL TOOLS TO HELP THEIR ATHLETES.

THESE INCLUDE BARBELLS MADE OUT OF STONE AND WOOD,

AND PULL-UP BARS.

SINCE THEN, DIFFERENT CIVILIZATIONS

SEE HOW SIMILAR EQUIPMENT BENEFITS

THEIR MILITARY FORCES.

AND WHEN IT CAME TO PREPARE MEN

FOR THE GREATEST ADVENTURE OF ALL,

THE JOURNEY INTO SPACE,

NASA BUILT UPON THE ANCIENT GREEK FITNESS

TECHNIQUES TO PREPARE THEIR ASTRONAUTS TO COMBAT

THE EFFECTS OF ZERO-GRAVITY.

AFTER THE BREAK, WE LOOK AT HOW THESE TECHNIQUES

HAVE BEEN ADAPTED FOR SPACE TRAVEL

AND SEE HOW MODERN GYM EQUIPMENT IS MANUFACTURED.

Narrator: EXERCISE EQUIPMENT MAY BE

AN EFFICIENT WAY TO STAY IN SHAPE ON EARTH,

BUT IT'S JUST AS IMPORTANT FOR ASTRONAUTS IN SPACE.

CRAZY YOU SAY? BUT HERE'S WHY --

Woman: WHEN YOU'RE IN SPACE,

YOU DON'T HAVE ANY GRAVITY PRESENT,

AND THEREFORE, YOUR MUSCLE

AND YOUR BONE DENSITY REDUCES OVER TIME,

AS IT'S NOT WORKING AGAINST ANY RESISTANCE.

SO, AS WE'RE ON EARTH, WHEN WE'RE EVEN WALKING AROUND,

LET ALONE DOING EXERCISE,

WE'RE WORKING AGAINST GRAVITY,

AND THAT HELPS TO PRODUCE OUR MUSCLE BULK AND STRENGTH

AND ALSO OUR BONE DENSITY.

WHEN YOU'RE IN SPACE, YOU DON'T HAVE THAT RESISTANCE,

AND EVEN DOING EXERCISE IN SPACE,

YOU STILL YOUR MUSCLE BULK

AND YOUR BONE DENSITY OVER TIME

TO ABOUT 0.4 PERCENT, 1 PERCENT,

EVERY MONTH THAT YOU'RE IN SPACE.

SO, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR ASTRONAUTS TO DO EXERCISE

IN SPACE TO HELP REDUCE THAT.

Narrator: TODAY, EXERCISE EQUIPMENT

IS NOT JUST LIMITED TO THE SIMPLE BARBELL.

THERE IS A WIDE VARIETY OF COMPUTER-CONTROLLED TREADMILLS

AND RUNNING MACHINES THAT CAN AID YOUR WORKOUT.

AN EXAMPLE OF THIS HIGH-TECH FITNESS

GADGETRY IS THE PRECOR'S EFX ELLIPTICAL TRAINER,

WHICH IS MADE IN THEIR AMERICAN FACTORY

IN WASHINGTON STATE.

AT THE HEART OF THE ELLIPTICAL IS A SYSTEM OF CIRCULAR PULLEYS

WHICH ARE WORKED BY THE USER'S MOVEMENTS.

THE SUBASSEMBLY OF THESE UNITS IS THE FIRST STAGE

IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE MACHINE.

TO BEGIN, THE PULLEY SHAFT AND PILLOW-BLOCK BEARINGS,

WHICH CONNECT THE SHAFT TO THE DRIVE UNIT

THAT ALLOW IT TO SPIN, ARE ASSEMBLED.

THE BEARING AND THE PULLEY

ARE THEN ALIGNED TO THE DRIVE FRAME AND SECURED.

THEN, THE CRANK ARMS ARE FITTED.

LATER IN THE PRODUCTION PROCESS,

THESE WILL BE ATTACHED TO THE STAIR ARMS.

NEXT, AS THE EFX IS ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED,

A GENERATOR IS INSTALLED ONTO THE PULLEY

AND THE BELTS ARE ALIGNED

BEFORE BEING THOROUGHLY TESTED BY HAND AND MACHINE

TO MAKE SURE THE TENSION IS CORRECT.

A RESISTOR THAT REGULATES THE POWER TO THE MACHINE

IS SECURED TO THE UNIT

BEFORE BEING TAKEN TO A CART

SO IT'S READY FOR THE NEXT STAGE OF ASSEMBLY.

THE MAIN EFX FRAME HAS PREVIOUSLY BEEN WELDED TOGETHER.

AN OPERATOR ATTACHED THE FEET

AND TAKES IT TO THE PRODUCTION LINE.

THE NEW DRIVE IS FIXED ONTO THE FRAME

AND A SECOND OPERATOR LACES

ALL THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS TOGETHER

FOR THE GENERATOR AND THE BATTERY

WHILE THE OUTER COVERS ARE ALSO FITTED.

THE STEPS OF THE ELLIPTICAL CAN BE INCLINED

TO CREATE A TOUGHER WORKOUT FOR THE USER.

AND FURTHER DOWN THE LINE,

THE LIFT MOTOR AND BATTERY

THAT POWER THIS FUNCTIONALITY ARE FIXED ONTO THE FRAME.

NEXT, THE EFX IS FITTED WITH ITS HIGH-TECH DISPLAY

AND HEART-MONITORING FEATURES.

A NEW, WELDED DISPLAY UNIT IS TAKEN FROM THE LINE

AND THE INTERNAL WIRING FOR THE DISPLAY

IS THREADED INSIDE.

THE UNIT IS THEN PASSED ON FOR THE HEART-RATE MONITORS

TO BE FITTED AND TESTED BEFORE BEING WRAPPED

AND ADDED TO THE MACHINE LATER.

IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EVERYONE

WHO PUTS THIS PRODUCT TOGETHER

TO HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE EFFICIENCY

AND THE QUALITY THAT GOES INTO THE BUILD.

OUR ENGINEERS WORK REALLY, REALLY HARD TO WORK

WITH THEIR COUNTERPART ON THE MANUFACTURING FLOOR,

THE MANUFACTURING ENGINEER,

TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'LL DO

WHATEVER WE NEED TO DO ON THE ASSEMBLY LINE,

BUT THAT THIS THING FLOWS SMOOTHLY

DOWN THE ASSEMBLY LINE.

Narrator: BACK AT THE EFX FRAME, TWO OPERATORS ATTACH THE RAMP

WHICH PROVIDES THE INCLINE FEATURE

FOR THE TRAINER ONTO THE UNIT.

THE RAMP IS CONNECTED TO THE LIFT MOTOR

BY A LONG, METAL-THREADED BAR

AND THEN THE STAIR ARMS ARE INSTALLED INTO THE RAMP

AND ALSO CONNECTED TO THE CRANK ARMS

AT THE REAR OF THE MACHINE.

BEFORE THE EFX IS COMPLETED,

THE UNIT'S ACCESSORIES KIT

IS GATHERED AND TAKEN INTO THE PRECOR TESTING BOOTH

WHERE THE TRAINER'S FEATURES ARE INSPECTED.

ONCE THE NEW EFX MACHINE HAS PASSED INSPECTION,

IT IS RELEASED AND IS FINALLY READY FOR PACKAGING.

ALL THE KEY COMPONENTS ARE WRAPPED BEFORE

BEING SECURELY FASTENED ONTO A PALLET.

IT IS THEN TAKEN OFF THE LOT

AND ALL THE REMAINING ACCESSORIES

ARE ALSO ADDED, FASTENED TO THE PALLET

AND BOXED, READY FOR DELIVERY.

INVENTED BY THE ANCIENT GREEKS,

USED BY THE MILITARY AND NASA,

AND NOW BEING EXPERTLY BUILT FOR USE IN YOUR HOME.

MODERN EXERCISE EQUIPMENT --

TRULY AN "INCREDIBLE INVENTION."

SO, THERE YOU HAVE IT --

A GLANCE THROUGH THE HIDDEN HISTORY

AND SUPER SCIENCE OF SOME AMAZING PRODUCTS

THAT YOU USE EVERY DAY.

THE FLAG, THE HOVERCRAFT AND EXERCISE EQUIPMENT.

THEY MAY SEEM COMMON AND ORDINARY.

HOWEVER, THESE PRODUCTS HELP CHANGE THE WORLD,

ONE INCREDIBLE INVENTION AT A TIME.