Automatic Buoyancy Compensator

[JoshuaHeard]

I am developing an automatic buoyancy compensator. It is still in the design stage, but we should have a working prototype by this summer. I have never seen one on the market. Does anyone have any experience with one of these devices? Is there anything I ought to know?

 

[dumpsterDiver]

Why are you making it?

 

[gekodivebali]

Not sure I see the need for one. Sounds like too much of a complication for mainstream open circuit...

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Also sounds like an accident waiting to happen. Something fails and someone dies is likely one reason there are none on the market now. Nor would I ever use one or allow a student to use one.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I think it sounds like a very cool project. Why not allow him to explain his intentions, before we bash the concept? I too think it sounds like a solution for a problem that doesn't exist, but maybe I don't have the creativity to see the potential value of it.

 

[supergaijin]

Hate to rain on the idea, but I doubt they'll sell- unless you target an upcoming country such as China.... then you may sell quite a few.

The KISS principle works best underwater.

 

[SOFDiver]

Have to agree that this sounds like another piece of useless "Scuba Junk". Overly complex, maint. nightmare, fraught with safety issues. Target martket: People with certification cards (as opposed to divers) who cannot/have not mastered the skills to become competent divers. Really would you trust your safety to such a device?

 

[Bob DBF]

Now if it was on a lift bag, I could.......




Bob
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I may be old, but I’m not dead yet.

 

[reo]

I am developing an automatic buoyancy compensator. It is still in the design stage, but we should have a working prototype by this summer. I have never seen one on the market. Does anyone have any experience with one of these devices? Is there anything I ought to know?

Buoyancy Compensator Devices (BCDs) are used by divers to achieve neutral buoyancy while diving. I'm not sure how you could build a sensor to tell if you were neutrally buoyant, because your buoyancy changes as you descend or ascend. You would need such a sensor to design a device to maintain neutral buoyancy as you swim up or down.

I can understand how you might be able to design a device that would maintain a given depth, based on ambient pressure. Such a device could be useful for someone who needs to maintain a certain depth, and could possibly be useful in photography or especially video recording situations.

A depth maintaining device would be best designed as an additional device to be used in addition to a BCD. You would dive to the depth required or object of interest, then activate the device to maintain your depth. This device would also have to be easily disabled or jettisoned in case of malfunction, for safety reasons.

Also, the design should be robust, simple, and inexpensive.

I believe such a device could be useful, but used in addition to a BCD, not as a replacement for the BCD.

Ron

 

[Progen]

Can we at least let our curiosity get the better of us and let him speak his mind first? Perhaps it might be something that's mechanically simple and thus suffer from an extremely low chance of failure?