One of the most striking and unconventional demonstrations of low-code potential took place in an environment few would associate with software development — aboard a submarine, submerged underwater. In a project dubbed “Extreme Cases: CPO on a Submarine”, Sophia Chen, Chief Product Officer at Appian, spent two hours inside a U.S. Navy training submarine, stationed in a deep testing pool, tasked with building a fully functional crew monitoring system while submerged. This extreme scenario was designed to illustrate how low-code platforms can deliver powerful, adaptive solutions even under the most challenging physical conditions.
Sophia’s mission was to build a real-time application for monitoring the oxygen levels and pressure readings of submarine crew members during underwater operations. Inside the dimly lit, confined compartments of the submarine, she worked wearing standard diving gear, with visibility limited to a few meters due to the naturally murky water — a realistic simulation of operational submarine conditions.
Thanks to the low-code visual development tools provided by Appian, Sophia was able to focus on assembling and configuring components visually, rather than writing code line-by-line — a task nearly impossible to perform with gloves and fogged goggles. The interface was modified for high contrast and oversized buttons, so it could still be operated even in poor visibility and through a waterproof tablet case. With drag-and-drop modules, she built dashboards showing each crew member’s oxygen saturation, ambient pressure at different compartments, and alerts triggered when readings exceeded safe thresholds.
This experiment showcased how low-code accelerates development cycles and enables iterative design even in unpredictable, high-stress situations. A task that could take weeks of coding and QA in a traditional environment was completed in under two hours, proving the platform’s flexibility and efficiency.
One of the project’s most innovative aspects was the integration of a gesture-based control system. Since typing or tapping on a touchscreen in the cramped and wet conditions of a submarine is cumbersome and error-prone, the application was configured to accept hand signals, which were captured via a waterproof GoPro camera and interpreted by an onboard gesture-recognition module.
Sophia defined a set of standard gestures — such as an open palm to confirm, a closed fist to cancel, or directional swipes to navigate between screens — and connected this module to the Appian app using ready-made connectors available in the platform’s library.
Data communication posed another challenge: radio signals do not travel well underwater. To overcome this, she connected the application to a specialized acoustic modem, which transmitted real-time sensor data to a surface relay station. This allowed the app to display live oxygen and pressure readings even while the submarine was submerged, simulating real mission conditions where normal Wi-Fi or cellular connections are impossible.
The demonstration attracted the attention of U.S. Navy observers, who were present aboard the submarine to evaluate the feasibility of using low-code platforms for operational software in extreme environments. During follow-up exercises, the app developed during the demo was deployed on the submarine crew, allowing command staff to monitor their status in real time while practicing emergency procedures.
Naval officers noted several key advantages: speed — the system was built and adjusted in hours, not months; adaptability — the app was easily customized for different sensor models and crew configurations without re-engineering; accessibility — the gesture-based interface allowed even non-technical sailors to interact with the system effectively.
Following the demonstration, the Navy initiated a pilot program to explore the use of low-code for rapidly prototyping other specialized tools in logistics, training, and mission-planning — where requirements can change quickly and traditional development cycles are too slow.
Sophia Chen’s underwater demo aboard the submarine proved that low-code platforms are more than just business tools for office workflows. They can be adapted to high-risk, constrained environments — even inside a submerged submarine — enabling users with minimal technical skills to configure, deploy, and operate mission-critical software on the fly.
In environments where communication is limited, visibility is poor, and time is scarce, the ability to assemble functional applications visually, and adapt them in real time, can be a decisive advantage. The project also highlighted how low-code democratizes development, allowing domain experts — such as sailors, engineers, or soldiers — to contribute directly to the creation of tools they will actually use.
The “CPO on a Submarine” case not only showcased technical innovation but also inspired confidence that low-code development has a place far beyond office walls — in the field, on a submarine, and wherever flexibility, speed, and resilience are needed.
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