Original subtitles

[narrator] On this episode of How Tech Works.

Take a spin on these tricked out wheelchairs,

like you've never seen before.

And this massive construction site in Abu Dhabi

is on target to become one of the world's largest ports.

[man] If there's a bigger one out there,

we don't know where it is.

[intro music]

Hello. I am Basil Singer

and you are watching How Tech Works,

the show that is brimming with cool stories

of science and technology from around the planet.

Today you're in for one thrill ride show.

We're jetting upside down in this whale of a water slide

and we're trying not to lose the map or the steering wheel

in this life-sized simulation of driver distractions.

But first... sometimes able-bodied people

take for granted some of the things in life

that physically-challenged people can't normally enjoy.

Like walking, cycling, swimming...

uh... flame-throwing.

Okay... that last one may sound extreme.

But the inventor in this next story

has one very "fired-up" imagination.

[upbeat music]

[narrator] This isn't your ordinary wheelchair.

I don't think anybody's gonna mess

with a disabled person driving something like this, do you?

[narrator] Yes, everything created here at Greathouse Labs

is made to grab attention.

And there's nothing ordinary about any of it.

They pop wheelies, they shoot fire,

they're not normal.

You want normal, there's plenty of normal out there.

[chuckles]

[narrator] There's always something cool

under construction, at Greathouse Labs.

I'm Lance Greathouse, and I'm a builder.

[narrator] More than anything, Lance builds dreams.

Specially-built wheelchairs

that offer a new-found freedom for their occupants.

It all started for Lance

when his brother Brent, his best friend,

became ill with Parkinson's disease.

He died eight years ago.

He used to be a big strapping guy,

champion racquetball player, motorcycle rider.

And ended up being fed with a spoon.

It's pretty hard seeing someone go out that way.

[narrator] Lance got the idea to build

the tricked-out wheelchairs in an effort to help Brent.

[Lance] I saw my brother,

how people treated him differently in his wheelchair.

So I built him a really cool looking wheelchair

with big tires on it. And the transformation,

the way people treated him, was completely different.

It went from pity to like, "Wow, dude, that's awesome."

I just saw how it changed, it changed everything.

[narrator] Brent may be gone now,

but every day he inspires Lance.

I want his legacy to live on,

and it does live on through my work.

Actually, my brother was a much better fabricator

and designer than I could ever be.

Unfortunately, he lost his abilities,

and he's gone now.

[Lance] I think about him every day,

and all my work is dedicated to my brother.

[narrator] Now, Lance's goal is to build custom wheelchairs

for everyone.

[Lance] I wanna make one of a kind chairs,

for one of a kind people.

Right now they've one wheelchair that fits everybody.

I wanna make a wheelchair for each person's personality.

[upbeat music]

This is the Dr. Evil Chair.

Complete functional wheelchair with mp3 player,

sirens, horns, lights... beer holder...

Everything anybody needs in a wheelchair.

[narrator] In fact, he has a whole fleet

of tricked-out rides.

With attachments like rocket-launchers,

rotating turrets, and fake machine-guns...

[Lance] The Dr. Strangelove Chair,

it works just like a regular wheelchair.

But it also has a turret.

You can drive it like an Abrams tank,

any direction.

[narrator] So just how exactly

does he come up with these things?

Let's just say, with Lance, there's no shortage of ideas.

People say they're bored.

I don't know how anybody's ever bored.

I have so many ideas and so many things I wanna do.

I just don't have the time.

I like building things that are different.

I don't like normal things.

I guess having a childhood where I grew up watching sci-fi,

Jules Verne, Lost in Space...

[narrator] And he just builds them out of junk.

[Lance] One man's junk is another guy's treasure.

There's no junk here, it's all good stuff.

My wife might have a different opinion. [chuckles]

But to me, it's all treasure.

[narrator] He's even convinced his neighbors

to leave any spare parts they find, at his gate.

[Lance] I think I've a good eye for looking at things,

and saying "This could be this or that",

and meld them together.

Same size, perfect.

My friends are going "I've never seen anybody

so excited about a universal joint." [chuckles]

I find all the parts, get 'em in a pile,

and then just start building. I don't draw, I just start.

I don't wanna waste a step by taking time

to draw something. I already have it up here.

[narrator Lance has certainly created

a number of off-the-wall gadgets over the years.

[Lance] Would you like a beverage?

[narrator] But by far he gets the most satisfaction

out of donating his specialty wheelchairs.

[Lance] There's nothing like

giving a chair to someone that can't afford one.

The look on their face is hard to explain.

[narrator] His friend Ryan is confined to a wheelchair,

and he knows the value of a tricked-out ride.

Having a wheelchair that's made for having fun

rather than made for medical purposes

is very liberating, and very fun,

and you definitely get a lot of attention that way.

Every physically challenged person I've seen

says "Dude, you're on the right path."

This is what we want. We want something different.

It doesn't have to be so serious all the time.

[narrator] For now, Lance is doing it all non-profit,

on the side.

But someday, he'd like to have the means

to be able to do this full-time and to leave his own legacy.

I wanna leave this world knowing

that I left it a little better than I found it.

That I wasn't here just trying to make money,

but actually trying to do something constructive

for other people.

I'm doing what my brother no longer can.

Next up, we're off to an enormous port

and industrial zone in the United Arab Emirates.

And while we've come to expect

super-sized engineering from the U.A.E.

this particular port, the size of a small country,

is a little bit different.

It all has to do with where it's being built.

[machines screeching]

[narrator] This is what it takes to build a giant.

A forest of cranes...

[upbeat music]

an army of workers...

and a sea of cement.

But words just don't do it justice

and at ground level

you don't get a sense of its scale.

But have a look at the plan.

This is Kizad.

The Khalifa industrial zone in Abu Dhabi.

It's 420 square kilometers when it's fully developed out

and let's put that into perspective

That's two thirds the size of Singapore.

It's two thirds the size of Toronto.

So this is almost a small country in scale.

[narrator] When it is finished the deep water port

will handle two million containers a year

and 12 million tons.

And that's just phase one of five.

[man] And to contrast that with Abu Dhabi's existing port,

that's four times bigger from day one.

[narrator] There'll be a range of industries here.

Served by roads...

a brand new railroad...

and three nearby airports.

What does it cost?

[man] 7.2 billion dollars.

[narrator] Is it the largest industrial zone in the world?

That's a great question.

If there's a bigger one out there,

we don't know where it is.

[soft vibrant music]

[narrator Kizad is made of sediments

dragged from the sea.

Had we been here two years ago,

we'd have been bobbing around in the ocean right now.

[narrator] Listen to how much they brought up

to make the port island.

[upbeat music]

[man] 20,000 Olympic classes swimming pools.

[narrator] And the industrial zone...

[man] We've had to raise over 20 square kilometers

by about two meters, the size of a big tall guy.

[narrator] And all that dredging

causes turbidity and milky water is a problem

for the silt-sensitive neighbors.

You see, Kizad sits next to a desalination plant

and the largest coral reef in the Arabian gulf.

It is already battered by high water temperatures

and steep salinity.

Silt could smother photosynthesis and kill the reef

But they saw that coming up

and have several ways to stop the silt.

Their environment manager takes us out to see them.

[environment manager] What we're looking at here

is basically the inside of the environmental breakwater,

which is about seven kilometers wall

that was built to protect the environment around the port.

Like an arm basically.

During the construction, it stops any sediments or silt

from traveling across to the neighboring reef.

[narrator] The other side of the breakwater

is more open to waves.

So its outer layer is protected with accropodes.

[environment manager] These are specially designed

and molded concrete blocks.

As you see they're interlocking,

so you are using the weight

as well as the interlocking power

of these things to stay in place.

So when a wave hits, it breaks this

and then it dissipates the energy.

[narrator] They chose to build the port far from shore dredging

and five kilometers away from those sensitive spots.

Instead of solid causeways they built bridges.

They are the country's first and third longest.

Keeping watch are two coral scientists.

[soft uplifting music]

They first dove on the reef well before construction.

And now the company brings them in

once every four months.

On this outing they are happy to see

a lot of young fish. A sign of a healthy reef.

We haven't noticed any major drops in coral coverage

or coral density and we take it from that

that the reef is in good shape.

It shows we can build such a large construction

and with appropriate measures and investment

we can keep that construction from impacting the reef.

[upbeat music]

[narrator] By the time the first ship arrived

that investment was huge.

154 million pounds for the breakwater alone.

[man] It was a non-negotiable part of the deal.

[narrator] Well into the future

that investment will serve Kizad well.

Because even normal operations will stir up silt.

This is a case of great engineering

that's worked and it's protected

a national asset for generations to come.

[narrator] When Kizad is fully finished it's gonna be a giant.

But as you see, it is a gentle giant.

Coming up on How Tech Works.

[narrator] We test the limits of dangerous driver distraction.

And we go deep inside the world

of extreme waterslide technology.

Welcome back to How Tech Works. I'm Basil Singer.

Now distractions while driving can be extremely dangerous,

and they're pushing some drivers to unsafe limits

on the motorways all over the world.

Especially with the prevalence of mobile phones

and other hand-held devices.

At a university in Florida,

with the help of a "virtual" truck,

they're uncovering stunning new information

about driver distraction.

Not to mention some pretty scary habits.

[narrator A weaving 18-wheeler.

[Ron] We're killing 40-thousand a year.

[narrator] Every driver's nightmare.

Twenty five to thirty five percent

of the fatalities occurring in the U.S.

are either directly or indirectly related

to distracted driving.

[narrator] A text,

or even a complicated maneuver on the road

is enough to put any vehicle on the hard shoulder.

[Ron] Distracted driving is three times more serious

in terms of distraction than drunk driving.

And that's a big a-ha.

[narrator] Ron Tarr is taking the issue to the next level.

As a simulation expert

at the University of Central Florida,

he's determined to find out what throws riggers off.

[Ron] Ted can you go ahead and dial

the last number in your phone please.

I'm not unrealistic enough to believe that people

are going to stop using their cell phones

because Americans live by their phones.

But if we can raise their awareness

and start having an effect, even at the 10 percent level

it will hopefully save lives and reduce accidents.

[narrator] One driver who welcomes the research

is Ted Price.

[Ted] Well my father was a truck driver

and I've always been intrigued by trucks.

[narrator] Ted's been hauling 18-wheels

for more than 20 years.

He's now teaching rules of the road

to a new generation of gadget craved drivers.

Ways that we are teaching students

is ideally not using the cell phone

but if the cell phone has to be used,

get a hands free device.

[narrator] It's time to put

the new driving simulator to the test.

[Ron] What we're going to do today

is we're going to take Ted

and put him through a few scenarios

to find out exactly how we can record

what's going on in terms of distractions.

[narrator] Instead of an engine,

a computer interface

and sensors attached to hydraulics.

All on this real truck cab.

[Ron] Alright, driver's ready, scenario starting.

[engine starting]

In this scenario we have the driver going through

the work zone arena.

Which is the external distraction.

And we're going to add the internal distraction.

[phone ringing] We're going to listen

as the driver interacts.

Hello.

[Scott] Hey ted this is Scott, how are you doing?

Hello Scott.

[narrator] From the control room, a series of questions.

All designed to tie-up Ted's attention.

[Ron] What you can see is the driver is wavering a bit.

An indication of distraction.

Put some rain on him.

What we can do is add weather effects

as we go through the process that further complicates

the driver's situation.

[Scott] Ted, can you go ahead and dial

the last number in your phone, please?

[Ron] Now this is an internal distraction

but it's a different specific task

where the driver needs to manipulate the instrument

instead of just answering it.

[Ted speaking indistinctly]

[Ron] He's going into the work zone now,

so let's watch and see how he does.

[upbeat music]

Finished the distraction, get him back on track

Hit snow.

Now there's a distraction for Orlando

[narrator] Even with snow flying in this virtual world

Ted keeps his grip.

[Ron] Ted is a real steady driver,

He's got lots of experience.

We threw additional distractions on him and he stayed solid.

We had a couple that were not so good.

They tended to be really affected

by the distractions. And in the post interview

uh... they reported that they would probably

not be using the phone in the future.

[narrator] Ron's findings don't stop here.

This kind of research is pushing

dashboard distractions off the road.

Last up it's time to call on the services

of our fearless reporter, Mark Miller.

You see, Mark is a guy who can access

some pretty cool behind-the-scenes stuff.

Plus, he loves to play test pilot.

So when the folks at the world's first

indoor upside down waterslide came calling,

Mark answered.

You heard me right: indoor upside down waterslide.

Take it away, Mark.

[narrator] The race to build the ultimate thrill ride

is being turned up a notch.

[metal sparking]

This is Whitewater West in Vancouver.

They specialize in terror.

[screams]

Their engineering philosophy... the scarier the ride,

the more people will want to ride it.

[screams] But there is a catch.

[man] Anyone can come up with a ride that's safe but boring.

Likewise they can come up with a ride

that is very exciting, but not safe.

Where White Waters technical expertise really lies

is finding that peak

where you have got the maximum...

[water splash] ...fun.

The maximum excitement

without compromising safety at all.

[narrator] Today they're trying to hit that maximum peak.

Testing something that no indoor water park

has ever attempted before...

a full loop.

For years water slide builders have been chasing

roller coaster engineers where loops are possible

because of seat belts and sophisticated restraints.

But slides like this are about to change all that.

This is what White Water and West Edmonton Mall

call their baby.

He's going to be our first rider.

[narrator] If it works

and if I can survive the test runs,

it will be opened to the public.

[Claudio] Okay, ready to launch.

[narrator] The world's first indoor looping water slide.

The aqua loop.

[robotic voice counting down]

[Mark screaming]

[narrator] Today I'm part of a team of a half dozen people

working out the bugs.

[water splashing]

[Mark coughs]

You gotta screw driver to do the uh...

[narrator] Claudio Barrera has been here

since early this morning.

[Claudio] Ya, I could ask for a little bit of filler here.

[narrator] Checking

and re-checking the safety systems.

[Claudio] They're infrared.

[narrator] From motion sensors that tell operators

when a rider has passed by...

And that will let us know that the ride's now empty

and we're safe to start launching the next person.

[narrator] to the escape hatch

used if a rider doesn't build up enough speed

to get around the loop.

You have the person come out, you help them out,

the key is in the door

so you can't reactivate the system anymore.

Uh.̇.. ya, we're connected back up.

[beep and click]

[narrator] From the moment you step

into the launch capsule,

you know this is no kiddie slide.

The ride starts with a free fall...

[machine] One...

[narrator] to build up enough speed

to get you over the loop.

But unlike conventional water slides

where a river of water helps propel riders downhill,

the loop meant the traditional river of water

simply wouldn't work.

The water won't go as high as the rider will.

[narrator] The solution was a series of spray nozzles

throughout the loop.

[Claudio] So these spray nozzles going up the loop here

are pretty much the only source of lubrication

that you have for the slide,

for the uphill trajectory on the aqua loop.

[water running]

[narrator] Once over the top of the loop,

it's another near free fall to the finish area...

[water splashing]

where the only tool they have to slow a rider down

from 50 kilometers an hour is, you guessed it, water.

[Claudio] And that's a very critical item.

Is our hydraulic jump.

You know that is our brake

and if we don't have the brake where we want it,

we don't want anybody coming close to the end.

[narrator] Getting the water right in the finish area

is a delicate balance. Too much water and...

You could actually get injured

just by slamming into a water wall.

[narrator] But not enough water could send a rider rocketing off

the end of the slippery ride and onto the concrete.

[Claudio] You want to get them into thick water

and braking before they get to the end.

[tweaking]

[narrator] Getting this tweaked

is the last thing that needs to be done

before the ride can be opened.

Just give it a sec to equalize, I'll let you know though, ok?

[narrator] The water depth here is controlled by a dam.

[Mark] Do you want the water deeper, the shim comes up?

[Claudio] Correct. We'll just put thicker shims in there.

And that will move the sort of move this water brake

so to speak back further?

[Claudio] Yes, so it's one of the two variables

we get to play with.

We get to play with the weir height

and we get to play with the water flow.

Ok, so now we're sending Mark down.

[narrator] This is no free ride.

[Mark screaming]

[narrator] The moment I exit the aqua loop,

Claudio wants information.

[Claudio] So how did that feel?

Oh, it was awesome. There's no bumps, nothing.

[Claudio] It was smooth all the way down?

Smooth all the way down.

And how did it feel when you came

into the shutdown lane?

Did you feel the transition as being abrupt or--

-No. -Did you notice it even?

You know it's funny, actually uh

I had a bit of water in my face on that last corner

so I might have closed my eyes.

I actually didn't even notice I...

I knew I stopped but I don't think I noticed.

I didn't feel like I hit anything.

I didn't feel anything abrupt, I didn't feel a break.

[Claudio] Right, great. No that's perfect.

[narrator] By the end of the day,

the aqua loop gets signed off by the test pilots

and the engineers.

-[Claudio] How was that? -That was awesome.

-[Claudio] How did it feel? -Crazy.

[upbeat music]

That's it for now,

thank you very much for watching How Tech Works.

I'm Basil Singer and I'll see you next time.

[ending music]