Ships

U.S.S. Independence: A Triple Hulled, Weapon-Laden Monster That is Surprisingly Affordable

Last month, the US Navy and General Dynamics took the lid off the new U.S.S. Independence littoral combat ship (LCS). This beast will sail close to the shore and throw everything imaginable at an enemy—from armored vehicles and helicopters to shells, torpedoes and missiles. Plus, it can hustle at a rumored 60 knots. Basically, that means the enemy will have a difficult time escaping the wrath of this mighty vessel no matter where they are.

More »

7:10 PM on Wed May 7 2008
By Sean Fallon
32,433 views, 100 comments

Latest by Epaminondas: @Technogen: It's hull and I didn't say anything about shapped charges. No reason to think the armor on this thing is better than a DD class, but hey, keep fighting that cold war! more »

maker faire

Maker Faire: Remote Controlled Battleships Fighting With BB Gun Cannons

Why do I need goggles to watch R/C ships sailing in a pond? Because these replicas of WWII battleships fire C02-powered projectiles. In the video above, you can see munitions bounce off the plexi shields protecting the crowd and make splashes as they ricochet off enemy hulls. The Western Warship Combat Club is recreating Axis vs. Allies fights where each side tries to sink the other. At 1/144 scale. [Western Warship Combat Club Maker Faire]

6:40 PM on Sat May 3 2008
By Brian Lam
31,415 views, 74 comments

Latest by scarbrtj: @strider_mt2k: I need less of a life so I'm more into Gizmodo and ridiculously delicious flamewars and VERY cool YouTube finds like this one! This will come in handy for the rest of my life. Seriously. more »

magic

British Navy Working on Developing Invisible Ships Using Metamaterials

Scientists at the Britannia Royal Navy College are working hard to make the idea of an invisible ship a reality using metamaterials that refract light in such a way that it "bends" around an object, making it appear as if it were invisible. This would only account for viewing with the naked eye however—naturally radar cloaking would be an important part of the equation. However, it appears that this technology may be able to accomplish a lot more. More »

8:00 PM on Mon Mar 3 2008
By Sean Fallon
10,659 views, 49 comments

Latest by louballs: will the semen walk into a lot of walls? Also, how would they work out showers? more »

geeks

Wired Feature on Deep Sea Cowboys Saving Giant Ships

The cargo ship Cougar Ace was entering Alaskan waters when its ballast tanks malfunctioned and a wave turned it on its side. Millions of dollars in shiny new Mazdas were dangling feet from the cold water. Then the A-Team of sea salvage (including a geek) flipped it right side up without the help of cranes or tugs. My good friend Josh Davis wrote this breathtaking feature on the small group of divers, ship captains, salvage masters and ship architects who brought the Cougar upright again. More »

4:03 PM on Tue Feb 26 2008
By Brian Lam
22,935 views, 47 comments

Latest by MykePagan: @zenpoet: Who gets to be Marty Johnson? (he was my brother's lab partner at Webb - rather shocking to that small community when it happened) more »

green power

Solar Ships May Carry Passengers in San Francisco as Early as 2009

The concept of solar ships is nothing new, but it appears that Austraila's Solarsailor may be on the brink of bringing the technology to the mainstream. Hornblower Yachts in San Francisco is in the midst of negotiations with the Coast Guard to install a Solarsailor sail on one of their commercial ferryboats. If all goes well, the boat will be operational in 2009. Solarsalor has also won contracts in Shanghai and Hong Kong for similar vessels. More »

8:40 PM on Wed Nov 7 2007
By Sean Fallon
3,958 views, 14 comments

ships

FLIP: The Only Ship That Stays Afloat Vertically or Horizontally

It may look like it's capsizing, but the FLIP (Floating Instrument Platform) is the only vessel out there that can operate both horizontally and vertically. It was designed to "flip" at sea so that scientists can better study the ocean. What I think is especially cool is that the insides of the ship (the crew quarters) were made in a way that you can get around regardless of what position the ship is in. I'd just hate to be anywhere near the bathroom when that thing flips. Check out the video post jump. More »

11:26 AM on Wed Feb 28 2007
By Louis Ramirez
16,382 views, 26 comments

Latest by voodoodle: it's like living in that escher drawing.... more »

gadgets

Sea Orbiter: Around the World in 730 Days

The Sea Orbiter is a 170-foot vessel that looks like an airplane wing set on its side, designed to drift around the earth while bored scientists inside study fish, plankton, and the ecology of the underwater world while getting on each other's nerves. Powered by nothing but sea currents and blown by the wind, the slow-moving ship will take two years to circumnavigate the earth, giving the scientists plenty of time to figure out what's happening in the underwater world in which two-thirds of this odd-looking craft is submerged. More »

10:28 AM on Mon Jul 10 2006
By Charlie White
1,192 views, 8 comments

Latest by Gadget Guy: Umm . . . hurricane? more »

gadgets

US Defense Department Finds New Way to Quickly and Quietly Kill People

The United States Department of Defense is working on Stiletto, a ship using what it calls M Hull technology, composed of M-shaped arches that let ships travel at a blistering 50 knots without making waves. There's an element of stealth at work here, too, where now ships can sneak up on each other, terminating each other s command with extreme prejudice. With this remarkable innovation, finally the Navy can put these killing machines to work, quickly and quietly snuffing out all those who hate freedom. Perhaps they should paint the arched hulls a golden hue, and then subsidize the technology s enormous development costs with an exclusive sponsorship from McDonald's. More »

1:49 PM on Wed Feb 22 2006
By Charlie White
328 views, 8 comments

Latest by Captain Lumpy Dog: Hear hear. more »

wireless

KVH Industry's Internet at Sea

Microsoft has teamed up with KVH Industries to provide high-speed Internet service to ships at sea. If you have a jones for surfing the Web while out on your boat, here's blessed relief at last. More »

4:00 PM on Thu Feb 16 2006
By Charlie White
1,130 views, 1 comment

Gizmodo

Lightning Review: Lego Egg Timer

Gizmodo Team

Gawker Media Network