Douglas M. Gaus
www.newproductconsultant.com

(click here for full published article at the Daily Mail along with some cool pix!)

Here's a new watercraft, brought from New Zealand, the land that specializes in finding new ways to thrill seek.  Two crazy (maybe that's why they have Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" as the soundtrack) mates have combined their testosterone levels with their design and engineering skills to fabricate a watercraft capable of diving down, jumping out and even rolling side-to-side in the water.   When it's not doing any of those sharky tricks, it can cruise up to 50 mph on top of the water or 20 mph below.

Dubbed the Seabreacher X by inventors Rob Innes and Dan Piazza of Innespace Productions, the company's tag line for the watercraft is "The Ultimate Diving Machine".  It takes a lot of testosterone to not just envision this craft, but to actually build a company to put it into small-scale production (currently custom built for $60K to $85K for those who want to do their own shark driving/diving).  The goal of the Seabreacher X ride, as with most crafts sporting 260 hp motor engines, is for the potential of a full scale (pardon the pun) adrenaline rush.  Based on the video of the watercraft in use, I think they achieved their goals!! 

Its size is about 16.5 feet long, just about the same size as a real shark.  It sports dorsal and pectoral fins, and of course has fierce shark teeth adorned across the front underside.  The airtight cockpit will hold a pilot and one passenger as they circle the lake or ocean of their choice.  When diving, it can hold it's breath for 20 seconds before heading back up, and then, with the controls pulled back, can be propelled a purported 12 feet out of water....It's like being inside Bruce at Universal Studios, without the mechanical constraints.  When you're not doing any shark tricks, passengers can use the on board camera, listen to the stereo, or if boredom somehow sets in, even play video games.

Seeing the video of the Seabeacher X skimming below the surface at a fairly good speed, then doing barrel rolls, looks exactly like a real dolphin out in the open sea....many of their earlier models of watercraft were designed with more of that same dolphin shape to them.  Apparently, their next project will be designed like the Seabreacher X's (great white) cousin, the hammerhead shark.  Not to far off from this crew, with a flare for making wild watercraft, may be be an inter-island tour watercraft, with ability to fit 50 passengers and spout water out of its blowhole..the Seabreacher HBW (Humpback Whale Edition)...

Keep 'em coming Innespace, these are awesome!!

For more information (and to test your own testosterone level for the ability to make spontaneous purchases) visit http://www.seabreacher.com

 A Japanese inventor, Masuyuki Naruse, has come up with a way to accelerate and brake using just one foot.  But his way does not involve switching the one foot from brake pedal to accelerator pedal.  His new way involves retrofitting a car with a new device that makes the driver use the side of the right foot to accelerate (by pushing it to the right) and the regular pushing down motion of the same foot on the brake pedal to decelerate.   The reason Naruse invented this was to stop people from accidentally slamming on the accelerator in "panic mode", where they were intending to slam on the brakes.

One main problem I see with this: simple ergonomics.  I could see maybe getting used to this for driving around town and for small trips, maybe.  But most people have some long drives they have to do for vacations, business, etc.  And I could see this constant awkward side-to-side motion straining your driving foot and calf muscle, maybe even putting your hip out of alignment.

Like most drivers, there are times you need to speed up quickly to move out of the way of oncoming traffic while attempting to cross busy streets.  Flooring it this way, technically by quickly swinging your foot to the right, seems like it would be fairly imprecise and apt to maybe cause new problems (punch it too much or too little).  Have they done any studies to see about the new device's effectiveness in use and to see how people like using it?

Will this new device stop old ladies (sorry about the hasty generalization, Grandma!) from smashing their '86 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme into the main lobby of the local 7-Eleven?  I think those type of accidents will continue to happen even if the invented device were in use due to drivers' inattentiveness, clumsiness or slowed reaction times due to age, alcohol and/or drugs (prescription or illegal).

The motion of lifting off for less and pressing down for more for both the accelerator and brake pedals is a tried and true motion that has been utilized in all types of motor vehicles since their inception many moons ago. Will this new invention lead the way to having the majority of all automobiles on the road to be retrofitted? 

Naruse hopes so, but probably not in the near to distant future...