Chinese Laid-off man Builds DIY Submarines For Sale (Video)
A Chinese worker in Wuhan, the most populous city in Central China, was laid-off from a textile machinery factory. He can only depend on his mechanic knowledge to earn a livelihood. He found a substantial market for underwater vessels with fishing capabilities, so he decided to open a factory to build small submarines. The price for the DIY built submarine cost 200,000 yuan (US$31,621) each, and he has already received 3 order this year …
The mini submarines factory now has got more than 10 employees. The man has spent roughly three million yuan (US$400 thousand) for the start-up. The mini submarine has everything needed for simple underwater work, such as grabbing and lifting, emergency oxygen reserves as well as an underwater video camera for monitoring. The mini submarine has enough room for two people and it can dive up to 30 meters, drive at the speed of 20 km/h for 10 hours, which is good for scouring riverbeds for garbage and fish. A few of the earlier prototypes reportedly sank in local lakes, but now his vessels are cleared for underwater travel.
His first customer was a sea cucumber fisherman who’s saved money for purchasing one of this mini submarine instead of hiring professional divers. The fisherman claims the submarine was not as flexible as a car but works pretty well. The DIY genius is currently building his second submarine, complete with air-tight windows and wrought iron walls. He said that building mini submarine is more than just fun and interests, but now he can see business opportunity. However, his factory can only build one mini submarine per month due to lack of funds. Well, this type of DIY-built submarine may look like a toy, but it can really become commercialize in China’s domestic market.
