Ship 'spider' to tour the United States

It's a spider-shaped proteus, designed for a variety of purposes, from military to biological research, ocean exploration or rescue at sea.

Daniel Basta, director of national MPAs at the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, said the light and cheap boat was well suited for environmental and scientific purposes. Its slim legs can fly over 13,000 kilometers (over the Atlantic) with just over 7,500 liters of diesel fuel.

Proteus is making its debut in New York. It will start a journey from San Francisco in January and end in Washington DC.

This spider-shaped vessel was designed by Ugo Conti, an Italian engineer and an oceanographer. He and his wife are co-founders of Silicon Valley marine research company. The company built the Proteus for about $ 1.5 million.

The vessel has a metal base and frame floats, allowing it to rotate and absorb shock waves caused by water movement, reaching speeds of up to 54 km / h. Proteus is 30 meters long and 15 meters wide. Its cabin hangs like a basketball ball on a four-legged structure, and is so flexible that it can be fitted to fit a honeymoon couple or enough space for 12 passengers.

Proteus is tearing water on the Hudson River in New York.
(Photo: ABC news)

T. An