Dive computers of the future?

[Schwob]

DCs are a strange thing. In at least one case (my son's computer) I am certain that the exact same computer is / was sold under different brand names for a very, very long time and vastly differing price points (like almost factor 3). Progress seems to be more in features, and display quality than actual improvement. Maybe that is different on the tek end or rebreather end - I wouldn't really know.
While there are many knowledgeable customers, the aspect where the majority of the customers are rather savvy about what they are buying seems to be missing ((myself included). It usually is missing consumer products, sometimes with professional equipment that aspect is "there"). The huge market that drives development is not there (compared to cellphones the market size is laughable). So progress seems slow - To me it seems like a lot more marketing and re-marketing and re-packaging and -re-badge-ing than engineering is going on.
Maybe some things are happening (like Deep6)

Anyway, might it be possible to get something that gets a precise body profile entered, knows what goes in (easy) and what comes out (gets exhaled) and figures out tissue loading and risk of CO hit and... based on the difference over time w/o needing "in body sensors"?

Sure would prefer that over some gimmick laden glorified UW video platform that tells me to buy the app to improve my kick sequence or amplitude or whatnot (or whatever other pseudo-improvement), stop by at the "dive inn" on the way home and tells me it needs to shut down now, mid dive because I failed to update the virus protection and the manufacturer cannot be associated with the therewith possibly associated risks... and generally wants me to update each and every aspect of it separately (like a phone with too many apps...) Dive computers I think are a bad product for too many cooks taking part in the cooking (like with phones and apps)...

 

[scubadada]

I am just coming back to diving after a 15 year hiatus. My last computer was an 18 year old Uwatec model. It was a wrist mount computer that had air integration and let you use nitrox. When I recently came back to scuba and started looking at equipment, I was blown away by how little things have progressed. Seriously. It's unbelievable. Things are nearly identical. Even the costs are damn near unchanged. It's pretty depressing.

With that said, I don't expect much in the next 15 years. Screens and battery life should improve, and the software should get better as more standard workflows are adopted. Beyond that, my next firmest prediction is that we will see location based functionality. Being alerted that you are not in proximity to a buddy (or group), and then being shown a visual representation of where to locate that buddy, would be great. Similar scenarios can be imaged for entry/exit points.

Your buddy locator was available on, the now discontinued, Liquivision Lynx. What other "breakthroughs" are you looking for?

 

[scubadada]

DCs are a strange thing. In at least one case (my son's computer) I am certain that the exact same computer is / was sold under different brand names for a very, very long time and vastly differing price points (like almost factor 3). Progress seems to be more in features, and display quality than actual improvement.

There are some large OEM that make computers for many brands such as Pelagic Pressure Systems, now owned by Aqua Lung, previously owned by Amereican Underwater Products. These include Oceanic, previously Aeris, Hollis, Aqua Lung, Sherwood, Genesis, Tusa, maybe others. Some brands, like Oceanic offer both available decompression algorithms, DSAT and PZ+. Others offer only one of the two decompression algorithms, consumer should be aware.

 

[Bubblesong]

Just brainstorming, because I am happy with my SUUNTO. Hmmm:
Given how many divers seem to have heart attacks and strokes due to dive exertion, maybe a pacemaker feature.
Or an electric shock if it senses someone has lost conciousness.
Or a shot of adrenaline in a slow swimmer?

 

[ls1dreams]

Haven't read the thread yet, but some thoughts of my own:

Short term:
- More with low energy bluetooth connections (BLE 4.0) for data transfer
- More smartphone apps

Medium term:
- Improved battery technology (slightly more capacity, but likely much faster recharging)
- Simple heads-up style indicators paired to DC's
- Might be cool to see some communication on bigger screen DC's (pre-defined messages, but probably not a full keyboard)
- RFID or similar tagging of expensive equipment for inventory/theft prevention on dive operators

Long Term:
- Better screens that don't draw as much power
- o2 saturation sensors maybe?
- More advanced heads-up displays / augmented reality style. They already have stuff like this for skiing. Probably will start rather simple.
- Underwater navigation of some sort. Obviously GPS can't penetrate, but maybe some other type of mapping or at least triangulation / directional finding.

Crazy long term dreams that will never happen in our lifetimes but might as well list them since we are dreaming here:
- Communication via thinking -> text style message
- Advanced underwater 3d navigation maps

 

[Magnus Lundstedt]

I for one am looking forward to checking out the Dive App store one day

Like the aqwary smar consol, that sadly been discontinued.

Aqwary

 

[tarponchik]

I doubt there will be any new findings in the science of scuba diving. So they will add some useless stuff that people in marketing departments call "features". I do not know what these features will be but I'm pretty sure I won't use any.

One thing I'm sure is that the Next Gen comps will beep more often. This is called "adding safety features".

 

[tridacna]

I doubt there will be any new findings in the science of scuba diving. So they will add some useless stuff that people in marketing departments call "features". I do not know what these features will be but I'm pretty sure I won't use any.

Wow! Tell that to Simon Mitchell and all the other scientists who are conducting new research every day. Tell that to all the engineers who are working on new technologies. Compare a Shearwater or Cosmiq to the SOS Poseidon 5 Bends-o-matic. Your statement must easily rate as one of the most ignorant ever written in the history of SB.

 

[tarponchik]

Wow! Tell that to Simon Mitchell and all the other scientists who are conducting new research every day. Tell that to all the engineers who are working on new technologies. Compare a Shearwater or Cosmiq to the SOS Poseidon 5 Bends-o-matic. Your statement must easily rate as one of the most ignorant ever written in the history of SB.

Any breakthrough results? Last time I checked my tables were the same as 15 years ago. Maybe there's something exciting going on in the world of tech diving but I'm not interested.

Comps are smaller than 15 years ago, sure. But I do not care if they get any smaller, cause I read in +2.00.

 

[dmaziuk]

Wow! Tell that to Simon Mitchell and all the other scientists who are conducting new research every day.

Oh come on. The discussions I read seem to all be shallower stops vs longer shallower stops. Which is already user-settable with gradient factors. Unless someone figures out what bends a given given diver on a given dive -- or not -- I don't see that dive computer revolution happening, tovarisch.