HPS Hamstar: The Hamster Powered Submarine

Discussion in 'The Bucket' started by Matt Rogers, Jan 13, 2012.

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  1. Matt Rogers

    Matt Rogers Kingfish

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    Hamsters are one step closer to world domination. While we laughed as they ran in place on a wheel, they plotted and schemed. Long oppressed victims of human folly, the hamsters knew that one day they would turn that frivolous hamster wheel energy into action and fulfill their dreams of revenge. After much research, the hamsters recently have taken a quantum leap forward. Behold HPS Hamstar. The Hamster Powered Submarine.



    Initial designs for the HPS Hamstar placed a hamster wheel inside an entire 3 Liter plastic bottle.


    Design flaws:

    • Gearing the hamster wheel to a propeller would have been too complicated, rendering the capsule too fragile
    • A suitably sized hamster wheel didn't fit well in a 3 Liter plastic bottle that lacked structural support
    • The bottle would have to be cut into pieces and re-assembled with an air-tight seal containing the hamster, which was not feasable
    • The hamster would simply be confined to the capsule but not confined to the wheel, meaning the hamster may or may not choose to turn the propeller
    • The size of the bottle was too buoyant and would have needed additional weight attached to the outside of the craft
    • Achieving neutral buoyancy would be very difficult
    • The hamster would have eventually suffocated
    • Many others

    These flaws were accounted for with the following measures:

    • The hamster wheel was turned sideways and the propeller shaft attached directly to the center of the wheel, vastly improving simplicity and removing the need for gears
    • A sturdy plastic food container with a 4-clamp lid was used to house the hamster wheel, improving structural support while simultaneously confining the hamster to the wheel and reducing the number of cuts and re-assembly of the bottle
    • The cylindrical middle of the bottle was cut out and replaced with plastic food container, resulting in a craft with less buoyancy that could easily be opened and closed without comprimising the integrity of the craft
    • The fore and aft ballast tanks of the craft were filled with copper BBs to achieve slightly negative buoyancy and bring the longitudinal center of gravity of the capsule close to the center
    • 2 hollow, small diameter rubber tubes were run from the top of the capsule through a styrofoam float two feet above on the surface of the water, providing air to the submerged capsule This means the capsule was hanging from the surface of the water, and therefore technically not a submarine. However, this fit within our design objectives since the capsule containing the hamster was fully submerged.


    More:
    https://sites.google.com/site/hamstersubmarine/home
     
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2012
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  3. Peredhil

    Peredhil Giant Squid

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    where do you find this stuff? that was great!
     
  4. NanoMano

    NanoMano Gigas Clam

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    lol neat! they should do the opposite, with a ball for a fish, and when the fish swims the ball rolls.. lol that was a stupid Idea... stupid stupid me.. jk
     
  5. ingtar_shinowa

    ingtar_shinowa Giant Squid

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    amazing! He didnt even have to teach the cubby one so say 'row'. Such a simple wrod, "row."
     
  6. MoJoe

    MoJoe Dragon Wrasse

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    this is GREAT, but the real question, is this hamster sub Reef safe??
     
  7. ingtar_shinowa

    ingtar_shinowa Giant Squid

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    I hear Reef hamsters lead to high nitrates /shrug
     
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  9. Seano Hermano

    Seano Hermano Giant Squid

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    Where do you find this stuff?

    Thanks for the great video! That's certainly unique. ;)
     
  10. ibefishy

    ibefishy Montipora Capricornis

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    Dont let the drug cartels see this they will be sending hamster subs over loaded with drugs by the thousands.
     
  11. thepanfish

    thepanfish Flying Squid

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    HAHAHA, took me 8 months to teach the little one to say row.

    What I want to know is what happened in "take 1"

    And where you find this stuff Matt.
     
  12. fishyfinder

    fishyfinder Teardrop Maxima Clam

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    hahah my favorite