‘Inia’ is spending its retirement where it truly belongs: underwater. The bionic submarine, built by the Submarine Team at Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences, was sunk in the Gochness quarry lake, where it will serve as an attraction for divers in future.
‘Inia’ is the first submarine built in Kleve and, at the same time, the most successful. In 2015, the student team – comprising engineers and bionics specialists – won the silver medal with it at a submarine race in Washington. The sub was powered by muscle power; the students, led by Professor of Bionics William Megill, had modelled its propulsion system on the Amazon river dolphin and replicated its tail fin, which was propelled by pedals. The successful team also took its name from the river mammal, which belongs to the genus Inia. The boat, like its successors, was sponsored by the Friends of Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences, Cleve Campus e.V. “None of this would have been possible without the Friends and our other sponsors,” says Professor William Megill, expressing his gratitude.
The submarine now lies safely anchored at a depth of four metres, where it can be visited by divers. Former members of the submarine team were also present at the ‘wet farewell’. And students from the university will continue to visit ‘Inia’ in future: all new team members are expected to dive down to the silver medallist as part of their induction to give it a quick clean and carry out some maintenance.
Anyone interested can view the university’s other submarines on dry land: a small submarine museum is being set up in the university’s bionics hall, featuring information on design, propulsion and technology.
Contact
Prof. Dr William Megill
Faculty of Technology and Bionics
Professor of Bionics, specialising in sensor technology and robotics
Telephone: 02821 80673 646
Email: william.megill@hochschule-rhein-waal.de
