Look into the viability of gadgets and technology seen in science-fiction movies. In a warehouse on an island in San Francisco Bay, a team of engineers and PhD's are inventing the future one prototype at a time.
Mind Controlled Car
Oct 15, 2008
Our team of inventors attempts to prototype a car that utilizes biofeedback sensors to restrict a cars performance as its driver's agitation level increases. Joe and Zoz will use cutting edge biofeedback and mind control technologies as the brains of the prototypes while Terry and Mike retrofit the test cars for an extreme test to prove the concept: a demolition derby where road rage is inevitable.
Boxing Robots
Oct 22, 2008
The prototype team looks into the future of gaming -- and giant, boxing robots are what they see. Joe and Zoz utilize a technology called optical glyph tracking to allow the robots to register and mimic their human counterparts' boxing movements while Mike is charged with dressing the metallic skeletons and Terry with building the metal beasts themselves. And then it's into the boxing ring for a metallic monster slugfest!
Traffic Busting Truck
Oct 29, 2008
The boys take on the challenge of building a car that will beat traffic by rising up -- and driving over it. And as an added bonus, the lift allows the vehicle to find parking like nothing else on wheels. The key to this build is a set of amazing wheels that can move in all directions without actually turning.
Six-Legged All Terrain Vehicle
Nov 5, 2008
Inspired by the "legs" of an innovative robot called RHex, the prototypers decide to use this basic design with its synchronized alternating tripod gait and build it BIG! What first appears as a simple upscaling project becomes a real challenge when the team discovers that size can change everything.
Backyard Waterslide Simulator
Nov 12, 2008
No water theme park is complete without a long run on a water slide, but what do you do when you don't have the room in your backyard? Let the the laws of physics give you a ride! In what may be their most massive build, the team puts together an amazing, fun-filled "slide-in-a-ring" and then turns on the hose for some aquatic fun.
Robotic Firefighter Assistant
Nov 19, 2008
Two devices to help firefighters are designed and built: a robot assistant that can carry gear up or victims down, and a vision aid that will help in navigating through fire and smoke.
Get Up and Go
Nov 26, 2008
The team of engineers attempts to invent a space-age sleeping pod that gets you up, fed, showered, groomed, dressed, informed and out the door in a matter of minutes. Initial attempts to automate things like shaving and eating turn out to be either scary or messy, but some surprising breakthroughs pave the way for a triumphant public demonstration.
Automated Pizza Delivery
Dec 3, 2008
The engineers attempt to create a fully automatic pizza delivery system, employing robots, blimps and a self-driving car, which will be tested by a crossing of the Bay Bridge.
Wearable Airbag
Dec 10, 2008
The team has two weeks to develop an airbag for high-rise construction workers that can sense the onset of free fall and deploy within a second.
Virtual Sea Adventure
Dec 17, 2008
The team want to invent a virtual deep sea diving adventure that allows you to SCUBA dive in a swimming pool but feel like you're at any reef in the world.
Flying Life Guard
Mar 12, 2009
The team tries to develop two flying-lifeguard systems to protect swimmers on unguarded beaches.
Gecko Suit
Mar 19, 2009
The team attemps to invent two devices for humans to scale a smooth vertical surface and to scale a rough vertical surface like a gecko does, calling the human either "Geckoman" or "Geckowoman."
Dogsitter
Mar 26, 2009
The team of inventors attempts to engineer the world's first robotic dog sitter. Designed to play with, let out and discipline your dog, the Robo Dog Sitter will also allow an owner at work to communicate with his dog via a monitor on the robot.
4c3T
@4c3T
I downloaded this, thinking it might be interesting, but soon I realized that this was utter crap! The whole series concept is like that of many; Time Vs. Tech. Meaning, there's that deadline and the narrator, as well as the crew keeps you reminded of it. I personally wish that guys like these could just be given a task and complete it in their own time, not having suspenseful music playing, weird cutting and making the viewer nauseated by the nagging time-issue all the time. Also, why are Americans constantly treating its audience like senile morons? Is it because there are like 500 channels and it's easy to get lost while zapping through the commercial breaks, so that you have to remind them of what they were watching before they got lost 10 minutes ago (from zapping)? Which is strange, since they do this right before a commercial break, and after they return, they must for some reason re-cap, thus overlapping with scenes from all over the episode. I felt an unease sensation as I had to fast forward in order to escape this before-/after-thing.. I didn't even make it to the end. If you want to see guys making stuff, I'd advice you to go to YouTube instead, because this is not worth your time, and possibly your mental health. Stressful, moronic, competition-driven against the clock piece of junk! Besides, that crew isn't what I'd call experts. Sure, they seem quite competent at what they do, but I think they're not the cutting-edge kind of guys. To explain that, I'll mention the boxing robots they built: The design was that of any science school project. Stupid look, poor overall design concept, and weird solutions for both the movements, and sensors for both motion caption as well as "impact" registration (That in particular!). Anyone with some level of both dignity as well as understanding of the concept at hand would have come up with something better I think. But, the time allotted might have been the biggest issues and probably the wrench in the whole machinery. I'd give this series a score of 3 out of 10 for being this kind of series where the main focus is not the actual building and details about it, but more that of competition against time. This gives nothing for tekkies such as myself, only a sense of disappointment.
