Creating a dive computer with Location and Communications

[dmaziuk]

Does liquivision know USPO issued a patent on their IP?

 

[RonR]

Hello.

I am seeing this thread very late, so my apology in advance for the late reply. This technology, developed by Ceebus Technologies of Boulder, Colorado USA, does exist now and is an acoustic technology that offers wireless location and communications capability among a network consisting multiple divers, surface and subsurface parties. The patented technology is omni-directional and has obvious commercial and recreational applications.

It would be interesting to know what differentiates your acoustic location technology from others that have been used in the past.

 

[Lorenzoid]

It would be interesting to know what differentiates your acoustic location technology from others that have been used in the past.

You could have a look for yourself.

US20130272098A1 - Underwater Acoustic Array, Communication and Location System - Google Patents

US20150288460A1 - Underwater acoustic array, communication and location system - Google Patents

US20170026135A1 - Underwater acoustic array, communication and location system - Google Patents

 

[Manjula Ellepola]

Thanks Lorenzoid. Interesting food for thought. I think the solutions look way more sophisticated than what Liquivision did and seems to present a good solution. It is good to see more people trying to solve a very intractable problem. Would be nice to see an actual embodiment soon that people can play with. I wish them success.

 

[Hatul]

Diver communication is an Achilles heel of scuba diving. We all know how easy it is to get separated and a diver gets lost. And the accident reports that involve this are just the tip of an iceberg. So yes, a practical communication-navigation device priced reasonably would be a go. In fact I believe that in the next few years that will be the next scuba breakthrough.

 

[Hatul]

I am sure a lot of recreational divers would find it useful, but at $1000 you are only going to sell to a limited number of divers who have a lot of disposable income, think somewhere in the order of maybe a few hundred units, if you are lucky.

At $1500.... I think you can probably measure your sales in the double digits.


You would be a new entry into the market, with no experience building dive computers and implementing decompression algorithms, so people might have reservations about your ability to do it.

The current market leading computer sells for $880.. you want to compete?.... make a product that adds more features at a lower price.

Define how many units you would need to sell for it be 'really popular'?

I disagree with you. There are plenty of successful high end computers now in the $1000-1500 range. With the addition of communication-navigation aid it would compete and sell fine.

 

[MrBigfins]

None of the videos linked work for me. Late to the thread, but it goes from posts in 2017 to yesterday. Did this product ever come to fruition?

 

[dmaziuk]

Diver communication is an Achilles heel of scuba diving. We all know how easy it is to get separated and a diver gets lost. And the accident reports that involve this are just the tip of an iceberg. So yes, a practical communication-navigation device priced reasonably would be a go. In fact I believe that in the next few years that will be the next scuba breakthrough.

https://www.amazon.com/Dive-Alert-Watcher-Underwater-Signaling/dp/B01LW9E2T2 -- we bought the last set, so currently unavaliable. We tested ours across a 20x20' swimming pool, but the German couple who clued us in on it in Curacao swore by it.

You can ping and pong back, but what it can't do is morse code -- or similar: something you could use for actual communication. Still, for what we want it's good enough. Anyone who wants "lifesaving equipment" should look elsewhere.

 

[NAM001]

I disagree with you. There are plenty of successful high end computers now in the $1000-1500 range. With the addition of communication-navigation aid it would compete and sell fine.

Pleasae post some example links. There is a point where you try to do so much the battery is short lived. No useful recreational system exists to my knowledge that does not require a lot of other hardware to use. Now, one should be able to use a Dead reckoning device but that would require the sensor remain fixed in position,,, and that does not happen in the rec diving world where cost is important. hold you hands out in front and you are going north put you r hands to the waist and you changed direction to the south. That now leaves things as a tank mounted unit and a separate wrist console to use. $$$$$ ^^^^^^

 

[Hatul]

Pleasae post some example links. There is a point where you try to do so much the battery is short lived. No useful recreational system exists to my knowledge that does not require a lot of other hardware to use. Now, one should be able to use a Dead reckoning device but that would require the sensor remain fixed in position,,, and that does not happen in the rec diving world where cost is important. hold you hands out in front and you are going north put you r hands to the waist and you changed direction to the south. That now leaves things as a tank mounted unit and a separate wrist console to use. $$$$$ ^^^^^^

The computers in that price range that I had in mind include the Perdix AI, G2, Suunto Core, Mares Genius and a few others. If they can add some communication/ navigation function it would compete with these.