Underwater invention dives the Pacific Abyss

2:19pm Friday 28th September 2007

A BROMSGROVE entrepreneur's latest invention went like a rocket.

The BBC natural history unit decided to build on the success of Blue Planet with a new underwater series for 2007 and called upon a local man to help capture some smooth shots.

Lickey Hills inventor and marine scientist Andrew Sneath was set the task of overcoming filming problems on a new series, Pacific Abyss.

The BBC team had difficulties filming on the move on previous underwater series, as the housing used to protect the cameramen would slow them down, while the kicking motion of fins would jolt the camera.

Underwater scooters' were tried, but were often not powerful enough and suffered reliability problems.

Andrew had just three weeks to design and build an underwater vehicle in Bromsgrove, before the crew departed. He created the Rocket, which was specially designed for the series and proved a success, filming steady shots through the caverns and canyons off the islands of Yap and Palau in western Micronesia.

Andrew has been involved with other filming projects including a boat for the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies.

In 2003, his most famous invention, Roboshark, was filmed around the world swimming with the real things for a documentary made by Sir David Attenborough.

Andrew's company, Hydrodome Ltd, is based at the Basepoint Bromsgrove Technology Park, in Aston Road. It has recently signed a contract with film production company Galatee for a new feature film.

Andrew is also hoping ambitious plans to build a spectacular underwater leisure attraction, with research and educational resources, will soon come to fruition. Negotiations with government agency Advantage West Midlands are continuing as they work to help secure a site for the Hydrodome project.

The three part series Pacific Abyss is scheduled to be screened this month, on BBC One.