Incinerator R&D Production Facility
While we make quite a bit of the components for the SeaPod at the Ocean Builders Factory here in Panama, some things require a bit more than we can handle at the factory. One example of this is the components of the incinerator for the incinerator toilet. We are working with a fully sophisticated facility […]
Welding The Interior Core Of The SeaPod
We have been getting quite a bit of work done on our two SeaPod TriPod model bases here at the factory. In this video, we can see one of our welders making some welds on the interior of the core. This is a very important process in terms of giving the base the structural strength […]
Incinerator Starter Development
The jet incinerator toilet system in the SeaPod will be used to safely dispose of toxic solid waste by burning it until we are left with just a small bit of non-toxic ash. One of the important things to consider in a floating structure is efficiency. This means that keeping a pilot light burning in […]
New Factory Security Protocols
Here at the Ocean Builders factory, we have someone on the premises 24/7 working as a security guard or watchman. Since we have quite a bit of valuable materials like fiberglass and resin as well as plenty of tools that could be a target for theft, we like to keep someone here as a deterrent […]
Electric Turbine Engine Design
Today, Grant has a really exciting project to show us, energy-efficient steam-powered turbines. When thinking of steam power, many might conjure up notions of old, behemoth trains and factories, but steam power is by no means confined to the industrial age of the 19th and 20th centuries. The team here has developed a number of […]
Proportional Valve For Controlling Gas
The burners for the incinerator toilet are fueled by propane gas. Since this system will be fully automated, we needed a way to automatically operate the valves to control the flow of gas to the burners. We are back in the workshop with Omer who has built a prototype to show how this will function. […]
Shower Assembly Update
There aren’t many things about the SeaPod that most people would consider ordinary. We are pushing the boundaries everywhere we can and the shower is no different. While it would have been easier to install a simple knob-controlled shower that you would find in most homes, we decided to go beyond what is normal and […]
Solar Turbine Testing Equipment
One of the most important research and development projects that we are focusing on is the development of a solar-powered steam turbine. We have spent the last year and a half working on this project and we have encountered a few difficulties that required some problem solving. There are many people around the world who […]
Demo: Smart Desalination System
We are back with Omer who has a demonstration of the operation of our smart desalination system. This is the reverse-osmosis filtration system that will supply the SeaPod with clean and safe drinking water. The system is powered by a one-horsepower motor that supplies the power to the pump which pressurizes the system. Reverse osmosis […]
Drone Delivery Services
We are back with Connor in Panama at the site from which our delivery drones will operate. This is the bay where the first SeaPods will be deployed and this site in the video will act as the home base for the delivery drones. As you may have read in our previous article about the […]
The SeaPod Poop Scale
The SeaPod uses a jet incinerator to dispose of the solid waste from our toilet system. This incinerator is fueled by propane so it is something that needs to be efficient so that it does not burn unnecessary fuel.We could not design the incinerator to operate on a regular basis based on time because depending […]
Polishing The Molds
We are back at the factory where our crew is working on the finishing steps of getting some of our molds ready for production. These 14 mold sections make up the top shell of the SeaPod, and they are quite large, with this being one of the smaller pieces. We recently removed these sections from […]
Raising the Side Spar
We are back at the factory doing some work on one of our TriPod bases. We are mounting one of the vertical sections that will be on the end of the outriggers. These vertical sections will house the ballast tanks that will keep everything floating properly. Additionally, options like the Wazebo will be built on […]
Hot And Cold Water Mixer For The Shower
Most homes have either a two-knob or a single-knob design for adjusting the water temperature in the shower. These allow us to adjust the temperature to make the water warmer or colder as needed. While this is a tried and true way of controlling the water in the shower, we want to take the SeaPod […]
Incinerator Flame Detector
The jet incinerator system will be a fully autonomous system that will monitor itself and run when needed. Since this system involves open flames and high heat, it has a few dangers associated with it. One of the safety measures that we are implementing is a flame detector. This sensor does exactly what its name […]
Safety Training – Gloves
Most industrial situations come with their fair share of workplace hazards, the Ocean Builders factory is no different. While we can’t remove the hazardous conditions from this line of work, we can make sure that our employees are properly trained to work safely to avoid injury or death. Here we have Reynaldo Howell, who is […]
After a hard days work
The crew is working hard, and we can see them here finishing up after a long and productive day, led by the resident pup. As progress continues in so many areas, it feels great to be able to show our team clocking off for the day. In our video, you can really begin to appreciate […]
Mold Release Process
Each section of the SeaPod is made in a specially built mold that we use to form the fiberglass. Here we are at the factory with Connor to show the process of removing the finished fiberglass section from the mold. The fiberglass is hardened with a resin, but that resin also grabs onto the mold […]
Our First SeaPod TimeLapse
We felt that documenting the monumental work that we have been doing here at Ocean Builders was very important. In conjunction with these blog posts and videos that we have been making, we also set up a timelapse camera to make a hands-off video showing some of our progress.The first project that we are using […]
3D Scanning Physical Objects
Grant Romundt Technology
Here we have Grant going over some new technology that we may be able to implement into our SeaPod production process. It is a cell phone based LIDAR scanner that is able to use light to scan an object and create a digital rendering of that object.Grant decided to do a quick test on one […]