DiveTrack Competition
DiveTrack Competition
In memory of Penny Glover
(1963 - 2005)
In memory of Penny Glover
(1963 - 2005)
Introduction
Penny Glover and Jacques Filippi were lost as a result of a diving accident on the 21st November 2005. They were using rebreathers at a depth of 80 metres. It was 7 weeks later that their bodies were discovered and only then by an expensive and privately funded search and discovery vessel. Most divers lost at sea are never recovered and this causes the families concerned unnecessary additional grief.
Penny was a long time member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers (now the Institution of Engineering and Technology) and the diving association BSAC (British Sub Aqua Club). She worked in the satellite communication industry for 75% of her time and spent the remaining 25% diving at sites around the world. She was one of the world's most highly qualified and experienced female divers, regularly diving in excess of 100m and using advanced diving equipment.
This competition is in memory of her two great loves: diving and engineering. Her family and friends want to develop something to help divers keep in contact and to ensure that families of missing divers do not have to endure the pain that comes with waiting for news if someone goes missing. The development of a 'Locating Device' for divers would go a long way towards meeting these aims.
The DiveTrack competition
To develop and manufacture a simple, easy to use and inexpensive device that ensures divers and others who have gone missing can easily be found.
A prize of £5,000 will be awarded to the winning design
The competition is supported by the IET (www.theiet.org/) and BSAC (www.bsac.com/). There is no limit on team numbers and may be particularly suitable for student projects.
The brief
To develop a signalling system that works at depth of up to 200 metres, has a range of 400 metres and meets the following requirements.
· A device capable of providing a response to an acoustic signal from a standard echo sounder. The device should be capable of operation for a minimum of 2 months at a temperature of 10 degrees centigrade at the lowest battery power to aid location.
· An active device enabling the diver to send an enhanced signal indicating that a problem has occurred underwater either to the existing sounder device or to a dedicated unit on a cover vessel. Such active signalling should last for a minimum 48 hours to facilitate search and recovery operations. Consideration should also be given for automatic activation after a maximum time underwater has elapsed.
· Where a standard sounder device is utilised, specification should include guidance for suitable modification of software to allow manufacturers to enhance their models to incorporate the improved capability.
· If a dedicated surface unit is utilised it should be capable of providing directional information and, if possible, differentiate between specific divers. It should be designed to cost less than £150.00.
· The device should be able to withstand the kind of water pressure existing at 300m below sea level (31 Bar) and should be capable of being clipped to the diver. It should not be obtrusive. Consideration must therefore be given to shape, size and position on the diver’s suit or SCUBA unit.
· The device should be easy to use, simple to maintain and affordable with a unit price in the region of £150 and ideally below £100.
Note: any invention would remain the intellectual property of its designers, but competition entrants should be prepared to co-operate with manufacturers if the possibility of turning the prototype into a commercially viable product arises.
The Timescales
Deadline dates
1st March 2007 Teams register interest using the form below.
15th April 2007 Project plans together with drawings and photographs should be submitted to British Sub Aqua Club (BSAC) marked for the attention of Odette Baker.
15th May 2007 Finalists will be asked to prepare prototypes ready for judging in September 2007.
31st August 2007 Deadline date for submission of prototypes.
September 2007 ‘Trials’ by divers registered with BSAC.
Overall judging by representatives of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and BSAC. The panel will consist of judges with engineering and/or diving expertise.
10th October 2007 Announcement of winners and award of £5,000 prize at the Inaugural IET Ambition Awards Ceremony
Page last modified: 10th Dec 2007 - 10:37:45