Archive
October 2021
52 articles
Walk-in Closet In The Master Bedroom
Here we have our CEO Grant walking us through the design of the walk-in closet that will be located in the master bedroom. One of the biggest challenges in building a floating home like the SeaPod is finding ways to be as efficient as possible with space. When we were reviewing the design of the…
Mold Update
We are back at the Ocean Builders factory with another update on the progress of our molds. As you can see here, we have just successfully removed another subfloor section from the mold. Our employees are finishing up some polishing on the surface of the tooling gel coat which will be used again to make…
Fail: Epoxy Master Mold Test
With many aspects of the SeaPod, we are pushing the envelope and challenging the old ways of doing things that have been done for decades. There has never been anything like the SeaPod ever built before so we are doing our own experimentation and testing of many different things through this process. That being said,…
Safety Training
Everyone here at Ocean Builders works hard on the SeaPod project, and a lot of that work is potentially hazardous. As a company, we feel the responsibility to give our employees a safe working environment where we can minimize risks and hazards.One of the integral parts of maintaining a safe working environment is Reynaldo Howell,…
Inserting The Tanks
Here you can see some of our employees working together at the marina to insert a ballast tank into one of the side spars of this SeaPod base. These fiberglass tanks have several internal chambers which can be filled with water or air to help balance or adjust the overall buoyancy of the SeaPod.We are…
Cross Section Testing
Here we have an update on the construction of the subfloor for the SeaPod. The subfloor is made in sections that meet in the middle of the SeaPod like slices of pizza. Each section is made individually and then connected to the center column of the SeaPod. At the top of this structure, we will…
Assembling A SeaPod Base
We have another update from the factory about the SeaPod base that we are currently building. We are beginning to connect the outrigger tubes to the center core. These sections weigh nearly one ton each so we have to use a crane to move them around. As the tube is lifted by the crane, we…
Making Of The Bathroom Climbing Wall
Access to the roof of the SeaPod goes through the skylight that is located at the top of the shower. We could have easily used a regular ladder for this but we have done so much work to make the SeaPod unique so we felt that a ladder wouldn’t fit the theme of the home…
Using Open-Source Platforms For Home Automation
The SeaPod is a smart home that has dozens of automated processes that work together seamlessly. While the whole point of home automation is to make life in a smart home more convenient, it requires an immense amount of work to achieve that integration and operation that we need.When we originally started on this journey,…
Making Of The Main Body
Before we can make our molds, we have to build the plug, which is what we call the positive mold. The plug is essentially the shape that we want the final product to be. So after the plug is built it is used to create the negative molds. The negative molds are what we use…
Making The Windows In The SeaPod
When you look at the SeaPod, one of the striking features that you’ll notice is the huge panoramic windows that seem to wrap around the home. While these windows look stunning and provide wonderful views from the inside, they were quite a challenge to engineer.The original plan was to have one large window that would…
The SeaPod Skylight
The round shower is located directly in the center of the top floor of the SeaPod. The shower has a diameter of 1.6 meters and also offers access to the roof using whichever style of the climbing wall that you choose. In addition to offering roof access, the skylight can also be opened to provide…
Main Door Hatch Development Progress
This is an update on the hatch doors that will be at water level near the dock. This door is the main entrance to the SeaPod and it leads to the spiral staircase which takes you up the center spar and into the living room. This door is designed to be very strong and completely…
Applying Tooling Gel Coat To The Plug
After all of the buffing, sanding, and polishing that we did on this piece, we were able to get it to the almost mirror finish that we are looking for. We checked it for deformities and we happily found none, so we can continue to the next steps of adding the coat of tooling gel and…
Making Progress On The Molds At The Factory
We are back at the factory where work continues on the SeaPod molds. This is a long process that must be perfect so we are making sure to cover every step and make sure we are as close to perfect as we can be.In this video, you can see our employees working on one of…
Implementing Curved Features In The SeaPod
The design of the SeaPod features many dramatic curves. While these curves are beautiful, unique, and bring a more natural flow of energy within the home, they also come with a significant challenge when it comes to construction. One of the difficulties with being unique is that there are many things that have never been…
Factory Update For SeaPod Molds
We have an update from the factory regarding the production of our SeaPod molds. We are moving forward with the process of applying the tooling gel coat to the positive mold which will give us the surface of our negative mold.The process of adding the coat of tooling gel is very important. Tooling gel acts…
New Ocean Builders Dry Bags
We have been working on some new products that we think will be great additions to the lifestyle of living in the water that you will get with the SeaPod. Here we have our CEO, Grant Romundt showing some examples of one of these products.Living in a SeaPod will bring constant contact with water, there…
SeaPod Base Construction Update
This is an update on the construction of our second SeaPod core and base which is continuing to take shape. In the previous post about these cores, we talked about how we cut the holes in the steel where the three outriggers for the side-spars will be attached.You can see in the video that the…
Overview of SeaPod Home Automation System
Here we have a visual representation of the different levels of our home automation system. This is a basic diagram that shows the ways that the different aspects of the system will communicate with one another and how each of the different levels are ultimately connected to work together. Starting in the physical world/hardware section,…
Master Bedroom Electrical Line Drawings
Here we have a rough drawing that shows the design of the electrical lines within the master bedroom and master bathroom of the SeaPod. This is a basic diagram that shows how the room will be wired and what will be connected to what.
Protecting Steel With Epoxy Paint
The steel that we are using in the construction of the spars must be protected from corrosion. The start of this process is sandblasting the surface to remove any surface rust or any other possible contaminants. Sandblasting will give us a fresh and clean layer of steel for us to apply our protectant so that…
What Is Z-Wave And Why Are We Using It
EMFs, which is the acronym for electromagnetic fields as well as electromotive forces, are areas of energy that are not visible to the naked eye. This is broadly referred to as radiation, but that often gives a very negative connotation.EMFs are everywhere in our lives from the overall harmless powerlines, TV and radio waves, WiFi,…
Concept For 3D Printed Coral Habitats
Coral reefs are a crucial part of our oceans all around the world, and they are struggling to survive as conditions become more difficult for them to sustain and grow. By creating coral-friendly habitats beneath the SeaPod, we can offer a place where corals can settle and begin new colonies.Corals are actually made by living…
Bilge Pump Update
Here we have a demonstration of the bilge pump controller. Just like in a boat, the bilge pump is responsible for pumping any water out of the bottom of the boat, or the SeaPod spars in our case. The pump is accompanied by sensors that are capable of sensing when the water level is too…
Sandblasting At The Factory
We have been doing some sandblasting at the factory, so here is a little update on that. We are working with steel, which gets a thin layer of surface rust fairly quickly. So when working with steel, we must protect it from rust, but we have to remove any rust before applying the protectant. Sandblasting…
Welcome To Panama
After our situation and clash with the Thai Navy, we have found a new home in Panama which has been wonderful. With the breathtaking beauty of the local nature, both on land and at sea, and a government that is welcoming and peaceful, we have settled very nicely into Panama. This video shows an aerial…
Digital Simulation Of The SeaPod Experience
This video is a digital rendering that shows what it would like to be inside of the SeaPod. While we have made prototypes to perform tests, we haven’t built something to show the actual design. This video serves that purpose. Our original prototype was built as an engineering prototype. This means that comfort, aesthetics, and…
Lighting Teaser Video
This was a short teaser video that we created to show a sneak-peak of our idea for lighting within the SeaPod. Originally, we were planning on using the black lines that you can see in the video to create designs and patterns on the interior walls of the SeaPod. This turned out to be difficult…
Color Options For The SeaPod
When it comes to color options for the SeaPod, we spent a lot of time deciding what the best options would be and creating them in a rendered video to show the different colors. As you can see in the video, we were considering white, shades of blues, grays, and greens.After some careful consideration, we…
What It Will Be Like To Live On The Water
Below you will find a render of what the SeaPod will look like from the perspective of someone enjoying an evening on the water. Part of living in the SeaPod is living on and enjoying the ocean. Whether that be watching the sunset from your paddleboard, snorkeling below your home and enjoying the aquatic life,…
Diving At The Original Prototype
While the ocean is full of life, most of it is concentrated near the shorelines and in shallower water. Much of the underwater world is somewhat of a vast desert with only the occasional school of fish or turtle passing by. This isn’t a bad thing, it’s just the way that our oceans are. As…
Floor Beam Research
At the factory, we have been doing a bit of testing on our floor beam designs. The beams are made of fiberglass which will give us the strength required to be safe while keeping things as lightweight as possible.We start the production of the floor beams by laying two layers of fiberglass cloth along a…
A Deformation In Our Mold
We have had a little bit of a setback in the production of our main mold for the SeaPod. One of the most identifying features of the SeaPod is the beautiful curves that are a key part of the design. While we love curves, sometimes we need things to be perfectly straight, and our parts…
Footage From Our Early SeaPod Prototype
Here we have some footage of the original prototype for the SeaPod that was built in Thailand in early 2019. This was an engineering prototype that was built as a proof of concept to test the engineering principles of the spar system so that we could see if it would be stable enough to create…
SeaPod Brain Computer Update
At the center of all of the systems within the SeaPod will be the Brain Computer. The Brain Computer will be located in the storage area of the SeaPod and while its main function is to operate the home automation systems, we also want to make it fit the futuristic look of the rest of…
Why So Many Curves?
So why is the SeaPod so curvy? Why not have normal four-walled rooms like every other house? Why put so much effort into the design when a box would be easier and faster to build? Well, the answer is simple… We want to be different, we ARE different, and we think that putting effort into…
Wine Glass Test On One-Third Scale SeaPod Model
Here we have some drone footage of Grant and Rudy sitting on the deck of the small-scale model enjoying a glass of wine. While we all like to enjoy a glass of wine at the end of the day, this glass of wine had a very important job. It acted as a proof of concept…
The SeaPod Wazebo
One of our concepts that we have created is the wazebo. This will be a gazebo type area and since you will be floating just above the water, so with Water + Gazebo, we have dubbed it the Wazebo. We want the wazebo to be more than a place to sit outside, it will be…
Delivery Drone Concept
With the SeaPod being located in the water, some normal things that we do in traditional homes like taking the trash out or having food delivered become much less convenient. That is where our automated drones will come into play as a solution for this challenge.The biggest hold-up with delivery drones is the fact that…
Home Entertainment System
Here is an update on our SeaPod projector system. Piggybacking off of this previous blog post: Pod Projector System, we have a more in-depth look at some of the capabilities of this system. This will be the main media/entertainment system for the SeaPod. Featuring a roll-up screen and a projector, we are able to save…
Wireless Charger Update
We have created our own wireless charger that we can use within the SeaPod. As the world moves toward wireless charging technology, it is becoming more and more important to implement it into our everyday lives.As seen in the video, our wireless charger has a ring of LED lights below the surface. These not only…
Touchscreen User Interface
The touchscreen interface that we have been developing will act as sort of a control center for your Seapod. This design that you see here incorporates a touchscreen tablet that is encased in a wall-mounted housing box. This allows us to install a tablet on the wall in every room of the SeaPod, or wherever…
Developing Our Automatic Door Controller
Our eventual goal is to develop Star Trek-like doors which open automatically when you approach them. Initially, we will have options for touch control with a button in the app or “starting” the door by pulling it. We also will have NFC capabilities that will function with your Smart Ring. The doors will have motors…
Multiroom Audio In The SeaPod
High-quality audio is a very big goal for us here at Ocean Builders, but it doesn’t stop at being high-quality, it has to be functional as well. Having audio that perfectly syncs to speakers in every room of the SeaPod is crucial, no one wants to hear lag and latency between rooms.In the SeaPod, you…
Voice Control In The SeaPod
Another way that we can add convenience and functionality to the SeaPod homes is with voice control capabilities. Most of us use or are at least familiar with Siri, Alexa, Google Voice Assistant, or another form of digital voice assistant. This technology adds convenience to our cell phones, why not expand it into our homes?Many…
LED Lighting System for the SeaPod
We try to keep minimalism and simplicity in mind for the design of the SeaPod, and lighting is no different. Our goal is to stay away from traditional light fixtures that require light bulbs, take up wall or ceiling space, and interrupt the flow of the interior design. Our solution for this is an LED…
Gas Detector For SeaPod Homes
The SeaPod will utilize propane gas for some of the functions within the home because it will be much more energy-efficient than electric power. For example, the stove and oven in the kitchen will operate on propane power. Another use for propane will be in the incinerator, which is located in the storage or main…
Radical Innovation Finalist
Over the past few years I have followed the Radical Innovation award as it is an award for professionals and students to share their ideas for the future of hospitality industry. During lockdown I made it my goal to enter into the next award which would be for 2021. A few months later I discovered…
SeaPod Ballast Tank Update
Here we have some of the water tanks that we have been working on. These will act as a ballast in each of the outriggers or side-spars on the TriPod model. The tanks are constructed from fiberglass and have 600 millimeter thick walls. The inside of the tank is divided into four separate compartments and…
Factory Update For Steel Core Of SeaPod
Here we have the second SeaPod base that we are working on. This is the steel core of what will be for a base for the TriPod model. As expected, the TriPod Model gets its name because of the three outriggers which will provide stability for the SeaPod which will be sitting about 6 meters…
Taking The TriPod Out For A Spin
Grant Romundt Lifestyle
Here we have some footage from our home marina here in Panama. We needed to move one of our TriPod bases to a different part of the marina so we used that as a chance to take it for a spin and see what it would be like in the open water. In the footage,…