The Transformers GDP is a team of eight fourth year engineers: seven of whom are mechanical engineers with one aeronautical student. The project is supervised by Dr Nick Townsend from FSI.
Drowning is a huge worldwide problem, which puts thousands of lives at risk every year:

• 372,000 drowning fatalities per year (WHO, 2016),
• 1,000,000 rescues per year (ILSF, 2016),
• Few victims are ever wearing a lifejacket (CDC, 2016).

A frequent risk for lifesavers is being pulled under the water by a drowning person. Therefore, the project intent is to improve lifesaver safety; the robot will save a person from drowning before the lifesaver begins to rescue them from the water. Passive lifesaving robots exist, such as the EMILY robotic buoy (http://emilyrobot.com/portfolio-gallery/photo-gallery/ ), but none exist to actively save lives.
The project aim will be to; design, build and test a working prototype of a marine lifesaving robot, to actively secure casualties in the water. The team will accomplish this by achieving the following:

1. Literature review of drowning casualties, existing lifesaving techniques and technology and the human body form whilst drowning,
2. Define the anthropometric maxima and minima for an identified human group at risk of drowning for the robotic device to wrap around,
3. Design a robotic mechanism to aid lifeguards in securing drowning casualties,
4. Research and develop a sensing and control system to allow the device to work semi-autonomously,
5. Build a working prototype of the design,
6. Perform a realistic, in-depth testing procedure on the device.