Build your own submarine!

Underwater exploration is finally coming within reach of the common man, thanks to OpenROV, an open source, remotely operated mini-submarine that can be customized with a variety of cameras and sensors. The co-creators, David Lang and Eric Stackpole, have put all the blueprints on the Internet and invited comments and suggestions for improvements, and they're also selling kits so people can put together their own OpenROVs at home. The OpenROV was featured prominently at the 2012 Maker Faire, and is very much part of the Maker culture. In case you think there wouldn't be much interest in this type of thing, David and Eric used Kickstarter, the crowd funding website, to raise money for their work. They set a goal of raising $20,000 in a month and raised more than $100,000, mostly in small donations. Even NASA has gotten actively involved in the project, because of the similarities between exploring oceans and exploring space, and because the open source methodology is something that NASA is trying to develop for its own use. The current episode of Future Talk features an interview with David Lang, footage of the OpenROV in action, and an extensive report on the Maker Faire itself. You can view the show in its entirety by clicking here, or divided into 3 shorter segments by clicking here.