VIDEO: Elon Musk Working on Child Size Submarine to Save Kids in Thailand

As the Thai rescue of a soccer team from is underway, Elon Musk has revealed he is at work developing a small sub meant to help house the children currently trapped in the cave. He has posted to Twitter videos of the machine at work.

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1016029967270928384

Elon Musk seems to have become the master of incredible and exciting solutions to problems. Solutions that, to his critics, are sometimes flashier than they are practical . For example, look, I ain’t no scientist, I’m just a… whatcha call it… humble blog writer, but can we try to fix this planet until we let billionaires decide we should switch planets? Not all of us can afford to switch planets, you know. Switching apartment is enough of a migraine. In any case, as the rescue of a Thai soccer team is underway, with brave members of the Thai navy risking life and limb, Elon Musk has revealed he is creating a child size submarine, and is taking advice from Twitter on what to do with it.

We must admit it looks pretty cool and it could indeed come in handy if currently ongoing and tragic rescue hits a wall and is in an environment for the sub to work better. Check out the video of Elon Musk showing the child size submarine team in action.

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1016060413476143104

The cave in that trapped a Thai soccer team has been making headlines for the absolute difficulty of the rescue as the cave continues to fill up with water. There have already been deaths in those diving, but the rescue is underway, with four children rescued thus far as divers place oxygen tanks throughout the route of the cave. These men are incredibly brave and deserve all the honors that we can bestow upon them. The Australian Navy has been involved in the rescue.

While it’s unknown if Elon Musk’s rescue submarines will be finished in time for the rescue proper, the technology developed inside them certainly looks promising enough for rescues in the future. Musk, a fan himself of Reddit and other forms of public conversation and information gathering, is using social media to aggregate new idea for his submarine — including an internal speaker system.

Some good feedback from cave experts in Thailand. Iterating with them on an escape pod design that might be safe enough to try. Also building an inflatable tube with airlocks. Less likely to work, given tricky contours, but great if it does.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 7, 2018

Got more great feedback from Thailand. Primary path is basically a tiny, kid-size submarine using the liquid oxygen transfer tube of Falcon rocket as hull. Light enough to be carried by 2 divers, small enough to get through narrow gaps. Extremely robust.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 7, 2018

Aluminum shell has high thermal conductivity, so will be close to ambient. If ambient is cold, a thin layer of neoprene insulation around interior will keep occupant warm.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 8, 2018

Yeah, that sounds cool. Music makes things better. Calms the mind. Adding padded wall pockets for a hand radio & phone/music player.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 8, 2018

Continue to be amazed by the bravery, resilience & tenacity of kids & diving team in Thailand. Human character at its best.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 7, 2018

However, may critics are pointing out that the solution — with its focus on speed and with its bulky size, would simply not work, and others are irritated that Elon Musk is using a tragedy to self promote, showcasing his inventions very publicly on Twitter.

elon musk's thai cave submarine is… absurd. it doesn't make any goddamn sense pic.twitter.com/ntZo2Tghv1

— Christopher Hooks (@cd_hooks) July 9, 2018

Elon Musk is making a big show of reaching for his wallet after the bill has been paid.

— John Levenstein (@johnlevenstein) July 9, 2018

https://twitter.com/Bro_Pair/status/1016125160271765504

However Musk seems aware of the possibility of the invention not working, and is hoping that if it is not useful here it will find uses in future situations.