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Underwater Dream Machine
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Program Overview
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NOVA follows the journey of Peter Robbins, a man who staked everything he owned to build his own submarine with the world's largest acrylic dome.
The program:
reviews the sub's design, which combines a conventional steel aft section
with a forward transparent acrylic plastic hull. explains that the sub is powered by a long-range diesel engine. notes that the submarine's budget is $1.5 million, which means that many
of its parts will need to be off-the-shelf components from ordinary hardware
stores and auto suppliers. presents Robbins' idea to turn the vehicle (named Alicia after his
daughter) into a profit-making enterprise by taking tourists and researchers to
shipwrecks lying off England's south coast. chronicles the construction of the submarine's components, including its
batteries, ballast, dive control mechanisms, acrylic sphere, air filtering
system, and fail-safe mechanism. points out the setbacks involved in building the sub's
never-before-made acrylic sphere. explains Robbins' fascination with German U-boats and reveals his
efforts to track down a surviving member from a World War II U-boat involved in
the war's last major U-boat action. recounts the survivor's account of that English Channel battle and his
escape from the U-boat. shows Robbins' submarine undergoing pressure testing at Britain's largest
pressure chamber and presents its first test dives. recounts Robbins' voyage with the U-boat survivor to the wreck of the
supply ship torpedoed by his U-boat.
Taping Rights: Can be used up to one year after the program is taped off the air.
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