I need the help of ScubaBoard to develop a new safety device

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...... The sensors will cost in the region of $20 .......
Is $20 your target cost or the MSRP?

You might be able to have a BLE or RFID based sensor at that price that would work fine at the surface as a proximity sensor (one of the typical application of BLE or RFID .... nothing new here ... and in fact we are using it in that way in our new No Diver Left Behind project).

Very unlikely that you can build a proximity sensor that works underwater (with a range of more than few millimeters) for $20. Anything rated better than IP67 requires $$$ :(
 
Proximity Awareness - The divers use small sensors (the size of a 50p coin) that they attach to their diving gear via a wrist strap. These sensors communicate to diving computers and can be configured to create a digital leash between 1 or more fellow divers. The sensors alert the diving computer if the sensors move out of a certain distance from another (or to a dangerous depth). The idea is predominately for scuba instructors who will have better proximity awareness of their students but it could also be used by recreational divers to keep close to their diving partners.

A great tool, would need something give you distance away from each other at a minimum, and a direction indicator would be ideal. I'd buy something like this as a safety device for my recreational diving if you could keep it under $500 each unit for each diver.

Digital Log
- All dives obviously require a log of activity. These sensors will automate this process, creating a digital log of time in and out of the water and saving time and effort once dives are completed.

Wouldn't see any use for that.

Digital Ping
- One of the main frustrations underwater is getting the attention of your partners. These devices allow you to send a digital ping to your partners to immediately get their attention. This could either be delivered by the vibration of the sensor or through the connected diving computer.

Would be a great feature to have.


5 - do you think these devices you make your diving experiences safer?

Yes, it would be a great back up fail safe device for all recreational buddy diving pairs.
 
I think the proximity alarm would be nice to attach to things, like cameras. There are a lot of GoPros lost due to being dropped, or mount failures. I lost a GoPro because the mount broke and it was out of my vision/not what I was focusing on. It would have been nice to have an alert.

I'm sure there's other gear that people would like to be able to attach a proximity alarm to.

I don't know how much interest a dive log would be, I know there are other standalone products on the market that do this. My air integrated dive computer gives me great logs that I import into Subsurface.
 
Thank you, that is super useful insight. The sensors will cost in the region of $20 and we are approaching the likes of PADI and to try DAN to start pushing this through as a new safety standard.

OK, now you're talking. So what you actually want is to get PADI to make us Put Another Dollar In except this one they split with you? Great plan, wish you luck, the agencies you'll get on board will be the agencies I am not getting my next cert from.
 
Thank you, that is super useful insight. The sensors will cost in the region of $20 and we are approaching the likes of PADI and to try DAN to start pushing this through as a new safety standard.

We are looking at the possibility of the 'Home' transmitter being placed on the boat as it would then serve as a dual purpose 'man overboard' fence when the boat is in transit. I know this all sounds very high level and conceptual but I'm working with one of the best minds in the country to work on this.

I hope you an all embrace this and be a part of the project. I'd love to hear any additional insight or any other features that could make this a better safety solution.
OK here's my insight. First off, good on you if you wish to develop a product that will find use in the diving world. That's how the free market's supposed to work.

What you describe is more what I'd call a "convenience feature" than anything to do with safety, as a diver with reasonable diving skills won't need it. My concern would be that newer divers would come to rely on it rather than develop their awareness skills and put to use the techniques they learned in their training, in which case it's more of a detriment to diving safety than an asset.

But where I'd find some serious objection is to have someone with your level of inexperience in actual diving pushing a "new safety standard" on the diving world. My reaction to that would be to tell you to go get some actual diving experience before you try solving perceived "safety" issues, particularly if you're going to use it as some attempt to push standards on the rest of us ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)
 
If you can build such a thing for $20 or even $100 it would probably be a winner. The ping is something I haven't seen before but I'd imagine a software tweak on a lynx could achieve it.

If you're looking for something in diving that needs investment, hoseless AI. It hasn't changed much in a very long time. Many (but not all) people like it. It suffers from reliability issues, and oversized transmitters (the transmitter design is universally simmilar and unchanged in at least a decade). Hoseless AI that didn't include a 3.5CM transmitter, and was very reliable? You could license it to existing dive computer manufacturers and just make money on the I.P..
 
For underwater communications, me and my wife use the quacking device which is installed between the BC inflating hose and the BC. Pretty simple and quacks loudly both underwater and above. The price was about $40, as I recall.
 
I agree with what many others have said. I don't really see this as a major advance in "safety".

Most computers allow digital dive logging, and diver proximity/location is already available but in my view only really has limited uses, and good buddy skills should mean you do not need a 'device' to alert your buddy and communicate.

Applied for gear/kit location could have its uses but is not really safety critical, so really much of what you propose is "nice" but not anything earth shattering, and of course is a 'gear/technology' solution to a problem that should not really exit if training is good and adhered to.

Technology can fail, and to rely on it too much for safety could give a false and unwarranted sense of safety and security. If you want to feel safe underwater work on basic skills and ensure buddy procedures are followed.

After all, even if the technology works flawlessly if your skills are not up to scratch or your buddy is not nearby and well enough trained to react appropriately all the technology in the world will not keep you safe. - Phil.
 
For underwater communications, me and my wife use the quacking device which is installed between the BC inflating hose and the BC. Pretty simple and quacks loudly both underwater and above. The price was about $40, as I recall.

Yep, a noisemaker is a more traditional solution for getting a buddy's attention, though some people find the noise obnoxious, especially if over-used.

If a diver is truly so inattentive that he doesn't hear a traditional noisemaker signal, is this proposed device's vibration or flashing light or whatever going to get his attention? I suggest an electric shock. :eek:
 
If a diver is truly so inattentive that he doesn't hear a traditional noisemaker signal, is this proposed device's vibration or flashing light or whatever going to get his attention? I suggest an electric shock. :eek:

As in the case of an ex. She completely ignored the duck call. I swear the only way she'd look up from her camera was if I emptied my tank through the stupid thing!
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

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