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Marine

World's first submersible hydrofoil: 26 mph above the water, 50 m under

By Loz Blain
April 27, 2022
World's first submersible hydrofoil: 26 mph above the water, 50 m under
The all-electric Deepseaker DS1 will hydrofoil on the surface to boost speed and range
The all-electric Deepseaker DS1 will hydrofoil on the surface to boost speed and range
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The world's first hydrofoiling submersible is about to begin construction
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The world's first hydrofoiling submersible is about to begin construction
The all-electric Deepseaker DS1 will hydrofoil on the surface to boost speed and range
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The all-electric Deepseaker DS1 will hydrofoil on the surface to boost speed and range

Italian startup iSpace2o has announced it's starting production on the first hull for its Deepseaker DS1 submersible hydrofoil. This machine will rise out of the water to hydrofoil at speeds up to 23 knots (26 mph/43 km/h), or dive as deep as 50 m (164 ft) for underwater shenanigans.

It's the first vessel of its kind, the company claims – there's no other fast boat that's also capable of diving. It's also fully electric, powered by quiet "Deepspeed" jets, designed and built by Sealence. Electric boats tend to suffer from severe range restriction, but getting this thing up to foiling speed will lift its hull out of the water, reducing drag greatly and boosting effective range. iSpace2o hasn't yet specified battery size or range estimates, but notes that it's considering a longer-range alternative hydrogen powertrain.

Another key innovation, says the company, comes via a partnership with Like-A-Fish, which will supply the Deepseaker with "almost unlimited oxygen" for the DS1's four-person cabin. This technology uses an electric centrifuge to place seawater under low pressure, leaching out dissolved oxygen to feed back into the sub's breathing system. Consuming about 150 W of power per person, this device had allegedly been prototyped up to a certain point some 12 years ago, but Like-A-Fish hasn't updated its website since around 2015.

The world's first hydrofoiling submersible is about to begin construction
The world's first hydrofoiling submersible is about to begin construction

iSpace2o promises "Tesla-style" AI navigation, inflatable airbags to bring the craft to the surface in an emergency, an AR-inspired heads-up display, built-in GoPros, hydrophones for underwater audio, and a double-shell structure that can keep the cabin protected even when a collision compromises the exterior.

The company says it's beginning production on the first DS1 hull, cashed-up thanks to an Invitalia loan. Giancarlo Zema group will put the finishing touches on the design, and F1 H20 team Blaze Performance will "take care of the construction of the hull and the development of the vehicle."

What's this thing for? Well, filling up superyacht garages and offering "immersive experiences" through tourism operators, like the vast majority of small submersibles. iSpace2o says it's optioned 10 vessels to a big cruise ship company. A few things about this project make it feel like a long shot to us – but it'll be neat if it all comes together!

Source: iSpace2o

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3 comments
Loz Blain
Loz Blain
Loz leads the New Atlas team as Editorial Director, after nearly two decades as one of our most versatile writers. He's also proven himself as a photographer, videographer, presenter, producer and podcast engineer. A graduate in Psychology, former business analyst and touring musician, he's covered just about everything for New Atlas, concentrating lately on clean energy, AI, humanoid robotics, next-gen aircraft, and the odd bit of music, motorcycles and automotive.

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LiamKoot
I am always amused at the comments like "world first" when there isn't a single photograph or video of the actual product, instead just renderings. I might be cynical, but it seems like it is easier to create a rendering of something, come up with some thumb-sucked performance figures and act like you are about to enter full scale production - in order to generate money instead of actually making the product and selling it. This seems to be another company selling a concept and nothing else.
ljaques
Seven years without the website being completed? Hmm.
Does this lead people to think that they just came back into the media spotlight because their funds ran out? Mmm, yeah.
Cool idea for a runabout and sub, though. Maybe someone will salvage their concept at the end.
Ralf Biernacki
The fishiest thing here, if you excuse the pun, is the submersion depth. All the rest seems innovative but doable. But making a four-person cabin in this configuration that can sustain 5 bars of pressure (more like 8 or 10 bars, taking safety factors into account) and yet is lightweight enough to traipse around as an electric (read: underpowered) hydrofoil, is not realistic. A spherical lexan bubble with a round hatch, maybe. But the cabin as pictured, resembling a light aircraft canopy, will not work. So I think the idea is realistic, but with a 5m submersion depth, not 50, and with pitiful range. Or with a "wet" cabin, meaning you are essentially scuba diving in a non-sealed vehicle, and have to make decompression stops. Still interesting, even so.