Breathing underwater may soon be a reality!

Stylish! Credit: Mikito Tateisi

Breathing underwater may soon be a reality!

A lot has been made of rising water-levels in recent years, and with the sun melting the sh*t out of the icecaps, it’s pretty easy to see why. Yeah, nah, if things keep going the way they are, that ‘legendary’ Kevin Costner movie, Waterworld might become more of a prediction than a work of far-fetched fiction. Fortunately, we’ve got some bright students on the case, and an amphibious garment called AMPHIBIO could have us all breathing underwater!

Talk about f**ken grouse. If you’ve ever wanted to be like Mario when he wears his f**ken weird little frog suit, this thing, AMPHIBIO, will get you half way there – and yeah, Amphibio does sound like the sort of name the creature from The Shape of Water would give itself if it became a magician. “Watch me make this f**ken egg disappear!”

That underwater church you'll be navigating. Credit: Jun Kamei

That underwater church you’ll be navigating. Credit: Jun Kamei

Essentially, AMPHIBIO, uses a special porous, hydrophobic material that can replenish oxygen in the water and release carbon dioxide. It was inspired by water-diving insects that generate a bubble of air around their body thanks to their water-repellent skin. It’s also complete bullsh*t.

Yeah, nah, unfortunately, it’s not really a new invention at all – it’s the work of an art student from the Royal College of Art in London. Its designer Jun Kamei says he’s a biomimicry designer and materials scientist inspired by nature’s hidden designs.

The working prototype. Credit: Jun Kamei

The working prototype. Credit: Jun Kamei

Don’t get us wrong, this thing would be f**ken sick if it was actually a realistic proposition – and maybe one day in the future it will be – but right now, this is a work of fantasy. Even if it is 3D printable.

Nevertheless, Kamei says AMPHIBIO could provide, “daily comfort to people who spend as much time in the water as on the land in a world where a human would have a peaceful touristic dive in the neighbouring church, or a night dive in the vivid streets.”

Stylish! Credit: Mikito Tateisi

Stylish! Credit: Mikito Tateisi

Final thought: Look, fair play to f**ken Kamei, I don’t see you or me inventing a cool new amphibious suit that’ll let us live underwater. It doesn’t matter if he’s an art student who’s smoked one bong too many, he’s trying – and for that, he’s a top bloke.

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H/T: IFLScience.