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