Personal Flotation Device is the single most important piece of equipment needed in order to prevent people from drowning. However, considering the size, weight and portability of the existing life saving device, the chance of survival are at risk. Traditional flotation devices as well as new inflatable life jackets are designed for different boating activities and water conditions and each has its own maximum buoyancy, performance level, and limitations. However, we cannot assume that in every situation we have this specific type of floatation device. That is why the we would like to introduce a new life-saving device that is more suitable to every situation related from drowning and its function is a great help to reduce the percentage of deaths and accidents caused by drowning.
Personal Flotation devices were introduced in previous years but what the researchers deemed as a novelty on this study is that the researchers are pursuing to invent a new device not just to save lives, but also paying attention to tracking, movement limitation, victim survival time and lifeguard rescue time. Since time is a very important factor in the implementation of water rescue operations, it will be more efficient for the researchers to categorize these devices based on time that is needed to lperform a successful rescue process.
This study is anchored on the Archimedes‘ Principle, Physical Law of Buoyancy, which was first discovered by the ancient Greek mathematician and inventor Archimedes at Syracuse on the island of Sicily in the third century B.C. Archimedes' Principle states that any body completely or partially submerged in a fluid (gas or liquid) at rest is acted upon by an upward, or buoyant, force, wherein the magnitude of which is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the body.
According to Archimedes‘ principle, when you fall into the water, you will displace just as much water as your weight. However, you will also receive an upwards force equal to the water that you displaced and which is also equal to your weight. With the help of the principle of buoyancy, lots of lifesaving flotation devices were developed over the past centuries which have been saving lives for generations. PFD, known as Personal Flotation Device, that was made in the early 19th century when lifesaving services were formed for the personal safety of boat crews heading out in pulling boats in generally horrific sea conditions has been improvised in this century. Applying Archimedes‘ principle of buoyancy, people has developed different types of PFD's, like life jackets for boating, fishing life jackets, wakeboard life jackets, life jackets for jet ski, and sailing life jackets to mention but few, however, all of them work the same way.
Archimedes‘ Principle, Physical Law of Buoyancy had been also a great help in producing a quality personal flotation devices with its different ratings for its different types, wherein the rating depends on the buoyancy needed and the application of the device. Basically, every individual should know how to choose life jackets based on the circumference of their chest area with its buoyancy rating that will hold up their selves.
Given that lifesaving flotation devices are indeed needed especially people loves to travel around the world which is surrounded by water putting chances of survival at risk, proposing a new smart flotation device that will easily rescue a human within a short period of time must work for the betterment and benefit of the society. Since not everyone is comfortable with the traditional bulky life jackets, the principle of buoyancy will help people produce suggestions and development of a more effective and comfortable to wear personal flotation devices.
Using the Archimedes‘ Principle, Physical Law of Buoyancy, the researchers, as responsible Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering students, will propose a project on life-saving flotation device that will easily rescue human‘s precious life within a short period of time without having any major injury and help them be comfortable on wearing such thing.
Design Process of AJC PUFFERLIFE: A Drowning Life-Saving Intelligent System
Design considerations are made through reviews of related literature and studies, and articles from the internet searches. Researchers searched the Science Direct, Google Scholar, Google patents databases, and other reliable sources by using the following keywords: swimming, water sports and activities, beaches, swimming pool, drowning, rescue, rescue device, Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs) and life guard.
This search includes all the published papers and articles until 2020. The materials are determined by the time refined design was being formulated. Through incorporating the various principles of mechanism in science and the technological advancement, it creates variance among other existing flotation gears and devices.
Design Consideration
The present study is conceptualized through consultations, observations, and research. The researchers have taken into account the function of nature as an inspiration of the device to be made. The following are considered in the design of the device: portability and lightweight, materials availability, ease of operation, ease of assembly or disassembly, and the overall performance.
Basis of Design
The researchers will come up to the idea of biomimicry which offers an empathetic, interconnected understanding on how life works. Being Pufferfish to mimic, it allows the researchers to focus on developmental solution from the nature function of the fish. Applying the concepts of the ability and function of Pufferfish when it is in trouble mainly contributes as basis of the design particularly to the mechanism of the device- much like the proposed device can inflate when you find yourself in an emergency situation in the water. It is nature of Pufferfish to inflate by ingesting water or in some cases air resulting their skin becomes stretched, especially around abdomen.
Thus, the researchers decided to adapt the nature concept to the basis of design. Furthermore, the design of the device is mainly influenced by the modern fashion chest bag however more enhance with portability and advance system through the hybrid microprocessor built in.
Assembly of AJC PUFFERLIFE: A Drowning Life-Saving Intelligent System
AJC PUFFERLIFE is a rescue device that can be used in different areas like beaches, pools and other bodies of water. This device will be composed of four (4) major components: Initial conveying assembly, smart alarm monitor apparatus, receiving transformation, and data processing. This present device is an electronic device that works with batteries.
System Components Description
Major components of the device are discussed below:
1. Initial conveying assembly. This component comprises the main gas cylinders and the four (4) gas cartridges. The device needs to bring high-pressure gas cylinders. CO2 is commonly used to inflate life rafts and inflatable life jackets because it is an inert, non-flammable, inexpensive gas which is easily obtained and cheap to manufacture worldwide. The gas cylinders are fit to the gas cartridges where automation reaction is activated when fixed.
2. Smart alarm monitor apparatus. This device includes a drowning detection device. A small hexagon box-size device that will be located in chest area when worn. Advance chipsets and microprocessor are to be built in the apparatus. It will activate the auto-detection, and biometric captors for inflation mechanism. Also, this unit with automatic inflation mechanisms may also be manually inflated by pressing the press button in both sides of the device.
3. Receiving transformation. The soundwaves signal converter will be embedded in alarm monitor apparatus for it is the heart of the AJC PUFFERLIFE. There are four (4) silicon straps conne cted from the four gas cylinder to the bag pouch where the compressed inflatable air bag is found.
The inflatable bag comes with variety of sizes according to age of person.
This air bag has a bright color to enhance visibility.
4. Data processing. This component automatically responds for rescue. The electric signal detector sends to the data processing device via a wired or wireless technology. This happen because of built spike radar in the inflatable bag adapting the concept of pufferfish‘s spike for the enhance protection. Also, with whistle and compass for extra visibility as the air bag inflate.
@CLANDESTINE0819
Thanks for the article, keep posting💗