Saturday March 21 at 7:30pm on SBS
New Series
On Saturday March 21 at 7.30pm, the Prototype This gang attempt what could be their most challenging assignment all season. In this episode, the team set out to revolutionise modern day lifesaving. According to the US Lifesaving Association, sixty to eighty percent of beaches are unguarded, with many people swimming at their own risk. This week, the guys aim to provide the coasts with lifesaving security that does not require an actual lifeguard to be present.
The first step was brainstorming ideas for getting a lifesaving device out to a swimmer in distress. Immediately, the team came up with two ideas. The first is a remote controlled plane that flies high over the water with an eight foot wingspan, and has the ability to carry up to three times its own weight. The second idea was to construct an air cannon that could use air pressure to fire the inflatable lifesaving device out over the water.
But things are not as easy as they seem, and almost immediately problems began to surface. It seemed the electronically programmed plane was having issues taking off with the amount of weight attached to it. Adding length to the runway, and attaching a rather large rocket for momentum seemed to correct the problem.
As for the cannon, battling the wind to get a consistent landing estimate was no easy task because the cannon sought the exact location and had to change its coordinates to reach its target. It seemed the barrel was throwing off the precise landing by moving slightly in either direction. Once again, the inventors put their skills together to program the cannon to remain completely still during firing
After watching the US Coast Guard show off their lifesaving skills with pin-point accuracy, the inventors were ready to try out their new inventions. After all tests are completed and every kink in the system has been completely ironed out, the team sends out a swimmer for a mock rescue with the GPS location device strapped comfortably to his arm.
Could an electronically programmed air cannon and a rocket propelled airplane delivering a flotation device really save a life?
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