If you use your imagination, it looks a little like an underwater question mark. Look at it another way and you'd think it was the love child of a Segway and a submarine (which it's not). So, what is this little yellow underwater vehicle that's popping up at resorts around the globe?
Answer: BOB.
As in HydroBOB, a submersible scooter patented and trademarked by creator Andrew Sneath, 46, of West Palm Beach, Fla. The 240-pound BOB, short for Breathing Observation Bubble, can travel at 2 knots, can stay submerged for 70 minutes and typically operates at fixed depths of between 10 and 25 feet.
Its most distinctive feature is a large acrylic dome that surrounds the passenger's head, allowing an unencumbered, 360-degree view of the surroundings. The dome also lets passengers breathe freely, thanks to an air pocket created by an accompanying oxygen tank.
While BOB has been around for 18 years, it's only with recent cameos in Wired magazine and the Daily Mail that the scooter has gained international attention. To date, approximately 300 BOBs have been built, and last week Sneath put the wraps on the latest model, BOB 10.0.
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gSJL84fRxo&feature=player_embedded[/media]
Full story link: http://www.aolnews.com/weird-news/article/odd-underwater-hydrobob-scooter-explained/19696978
Answer: BOB.
As in HydroBOB, a submersible scooter patented and trademarked by creator Andrew Sneath, 46, of West Palm Beach, Fla. The 240-pound BOB, short for Breathing Observation Bubble, can travel at 2 knots, can stay submerged for 70 minutes and typically operates at fixed depths of between 10 and 25 feet.
Its most distinctive feature is a large acrylic dome that surrounds the passenger's head, allowing an unencumbered, 360-degree view of the surroundings. The dome also lets passengers breathe freely, thanks to an air pocket created by an accompanying oxygen tank.
While BOB has been around for 18 years, it's only with recent cameos in Wired magazine and the Daily Mail that the scooter has gained international attention. To date, approximately 300 BOBs have been built, and last week Sneath put the wraps on the latest model, BOB 10.0.
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gSJL84fRxo&feature=player_embedded[/media]
Full story link: http://www.aolnews.com/weird-news/article/odd-underwater-hydrobob-scooter-explained/19696978
