beasleym
Contributor
I'm still working on replacing my homebrew O2 meter. Little background then on to the discussion.
I'm using a arduino computer with a standard type O2 sensor to get O2 composition in tanks, works really well and I can even do temperature compensation which I haven't seen in meters you can buy. I'm now working on incorporating a carbon monoxide sensor and a sensor for petroleum gases, both for safety reasons.
So then I got to thinking which is a dangerous activity to getting a project done and running. What if I could use bluetooth to put the information where I could log it. Sounded good, how about my table computer? Should work fine.
But that doesn't get the O2 reading into my dive computer. But what if, and this a big what if - what if the dive computer was my tablet computer? So here's three problems to solve: how do I get pressure info from the reg to the computer, and how do I get the tablet underwater. Just so happens that somebody builds a tablet computer housing for underwater use. One problem solved.
But how about using bluetooth underwater and building a device to get pressure. Radio works really poor underwater but it appears that someone is doing it for audio, so it could work. IR works and the tablet has IR so that's another potential solution. So all I need to do here is some testing, build an Arduino with a pressure sensor and either an IR or bluetooth tablet interface. Little difficult but not as bad a problem as others I've solved.
Now here's the killer. Software for the tablet to do all the dive functions. Again, doable but a lot of work.
So now the other benefits: now I have an underwater camera with me that could log right into my dive history. Could also be used to put comments and would have how far in the dive time I took the picture and at what depth. If the O2 analyzer is incorporated then I don't even have to input that I can also have different tanks with different mixes and that's automatically taken care of. My tablet has a gps and clock so the times and locations are automatically recorded. For logging dive partner and divemaster I again use the camera. Forget uploading to a computer - it's done.
My questions to you folks: does this sound like a good idea? Any other thoughts?
To the manufacturers: If I can do this, and I think I can, why haven't you?
I'm using a arduino computer with a standard type O2 sensor to get O2 composition in tanks, works really well and I can even do temperature compensation which I haven't seen in meters you can buy. I'm now working on incorporating a carbon monoxide sensor and a sensor for petroleum gases, both for safety reasons.
So then I got to thinking which is a dangerous activity to getting a project done and running. What if I could use bluetooth to put the information where I could log it. Sounded good, how about my table computer? Should work fine.
But that doesn't get the O2 reading into my dive computer. But what if, and this a big what if - what if the dive computer was my tablet computer? So here's three problems to solve: how do I get pressure info from the reg to the computer, and how do I get the tablet underwater. Just so happens that somebody builds a tablet computer housing for underwater use. One problem solved.
But how about using bluetooth underwater and building a device to get pressure. Radio works really poor underwater but it appears that someone is doing it for audio, so it could work. IR works and the tablet has IR so that's another potential solution. So all I need to do here is some testing, build an Arduino with a pressure sensor and either an IR or bluetooth tablet interface. Little difficult but not as bad a problem as others I've solved.
Now here's the killer. Software for the tablet to do all the dive functions. Again, doable but a lot of work.
So now the other benefits: now I have an underwater camera with me that could log right into my dive history. Could also be used to put comments and would have how far in the dive time I took the picture and at what depth. If the O2 analyzer is incorporated then I don't even have to input that I can also have different tanks with different mixes and that's automatically taken care of. My tablet has a gps and clock so the times and locations are automatically recorded. For logging dive partner and divemaster I again use the camera. Forget uploading to a computer - it's done.
My questions to you folks: does this sound like a good idea? Any other thoughts?
To the manufacturers: If I can do this, and I think I can, why haven't you?
