Описание
Разработки новых конструкций компенсаторов плавучести для дайверов с ограниченными возможностями здоровья не прекращаются. Проекты создаются по всему миру. Приятно, что в этом процессе активно участвуют молодые авторы – дизайнеры и конструкторы. Они приносят новые идеи, используют новые технологии, предлагают нестандартные решения.
Пока эти изделия невозможно еще купить. Но я счел необходимым включить их в Справочник, чтобы потом была возможность отследить судьбу этих разработок.
Emil Orman: Freedom for Disabled Divers
Master degree project in collaboration with Waterproof and Disabled Divers International,
Sponsored by HI and Promobilia
2011, 20 weeks, MA year 2, Umeå Institute of Design.
Discovery and adventure has always been part of humanity. Scuba diving is a way to experience the world in which we live. Paraplegic divers have to use their arms to swim and manoeuvre under water. Buoyancy in diving is important, despite it being one of the most difficult skills to master in the sport. For disabled divers with non-functioning legs it’s almost impossible to keep balance and position under water whit out special adjustments in equipment. Disabled people usually chained to the wheelchair can now feel the sense of weightlessness and complete freedom of movement.
Focus for this project is recreational diving in warmer countries, not only giving the opportunity to be inspired by the rich marine life with underwater creatures and coral reefs, also the social side with all the diving associates and communities. Design for all is the design philosophy in this project, targeting as wide user group as possible including people with paraplegia.
This concept of a buoyancy compensator/ diving vest, widens the inflatable areas in upper, lower and sideways making it possible to control your position in real-time while diving. Buoyancy and body trim can be adjusted via the chest mounted control to assist the user into a horizontal, vertical, or angular position, increasing the freedom of movement & enhancing the overall experience.
Aquasist: Assistive Device for Paraplegic Scuba Divers
Overview
Currently, there are no products on the market to help paraplegics SCUBA dive on their own. While in the water, disabled divers rely solely on their arms and core control to keep their body in the desired orientation. Without the help of another diver in the water, paraplegics must work harder to keep their body in its desired orientation. Because disabled divers work harder, they use up more oxygen than divers with full mobility. The increased use of oxygen causes disabled divers to experience shorter dives. Without the ability to control their legs, disabled divers’ legs can unintentionally touch objects while diving. This can lead to injuries and visibility issues. In addition, paraplegics need help getting in and out of their wetsuit. Because of these obstacles, disabled divers miss the full experience that scuba diving has to offer. The goal of this project is to design a product that helps paraplegics keep their body’s desired diving orientation, allows them to dress themselves, and keeps the divers legs from dragging. Our design consists of a custom wetsuit that includes an adjustable float, added zippers, and a sewn section that joins the legs together in the center. The adjustable float allows the diver to adjust their body’s position in the water. The added zippers, found along the legs, will help the diver dress themselves. Joining the legs together will help the disabled diver control their legs as one unit. This product will end the need for help underwater from a dive buddy and allow disabled divers to enjoy all the freedom scuba diving has to offer.
Our Product
Our product incorporates an adjustable float system into a custom wetsuit. The diver can move the float up and down along a foldable track to control the position of his or her legs. This will allow the diver to control his or her trim and eliminate the need for assistance while diving. This will also keep the diver from scraping their legs against the aquatic floor. Additionally, the wetsuit has zippers along its sides for the diver to easily get into and out of the wetsuit.
Experimental Design Aspects
The free body diagrams below show the forces acting on scuba divers. Divers with full mobility can use their arms and legs to propel through the water. This allows them to maintain a horizontal posture and fight the drag force with relative ease. Paraplegic divers, on the other hand, only have their arms to propel through the water. Because of this, they tend to dive in a more vertical position and have a weaker thrust force to fight against the drag force. These disabled divers, consequently, exert more energy. Our product will assist paraplegic divers in maintain a horizontal posture so that they can generate a larger thrust force eliminate the amount of drag.
The schematic below illustrates the principle that minimizing the frontal area of a diver’s profile will reduce the magnitude of the drag force.
Product Demo
