In a nutshell, a human powered submarine is an underwater bicycle. The hydrodynamic hull is fully flooded and fits either a single pilot or, for larger subs, two pilots, who uses a bicycle pedal drivetrain to turn a propeller. The pilot dictates the direction of travel with the controls joystick, which adjusts the angle of several control fins. And they do all of this while wearing scuba gear!

What Is a

Human-Powered

Submarine?

Three scuba divers underwater submerged with a wooden submarine, one in the background swimming above, the others near it, one holding the boat model, all wearing masks and gear.

Support Divers pose with Knotty Dawg, used from 2017-2018

What are the International Submarine Races?

After spending the year designing, building, and testing our sub, we race against teams from around the world. This competition takes place at either the International Submarine Races (ISR) in Carderock, MD or the European International Submarine Races (eISR) in Gosport, UK. ISR is a drag race with the main focus on top speed, while eISR introduces a slalom course that tests the pilot’s control of the submarine.

Looking down the pool in Carderock, MD (ISR) without an end in site with a large American Flag hanging down.

Looking down the pool in Carderock, MD (ISR) which spans a quarter of a mile in length

The ISR course which spans 100 meters with a 100 meter run up that includes two timing gates 10 meters apart in the middle

ISR COURSE

The eISR course that starts with a run up into a timing gate goes into a sharp U-turn then finishes with a slalom

eISR COURSE

HPS at UW has participated in the bi-annual International Submarine Races (ISR) in Carderock, MD since 1989. We won awards in ten different competitions (the 3rd, 7th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th!) for a variety of categories, including speed, innovation, overall performance, and design report quality.

The Human Powered Submarine Team at the University of Washington (UW HPS) was founded in 1989 at the Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) with APL engineers and scientists. In 1991, UW HPS became a registered student organization under the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

OUR History

HumPSub, Bright pink and streamlined hanging in the APL library.

HumPSub, the very first submarine, built in 1989, now hanging in the APL library.

With the initiation of the European International Submarine Races (eISR) in 2012, we shifted the development cycle from two-year to one-year: odd years for ISR and even years for eISR. Every year a new submarine is built, but each new hull is used for two years at two competitions. The new hull makes its debut at ISR and goes through redesign and upgrade and race again at eISR in the following year. HPS won eISR awards in 2014, 2016 and 2018 in speed, maneuverability, and performance. In 2022 we won the award for perseverance

Knotty Dawg, a sleek wooden sub, on it's cart outside of the Applied Physics Lab at UW

Knotty Dawg won 1st Place in Two-Person Submarines and Most Dramatic Performance at eISR 2018