Torso-Mounted Position Sensor for Hands-Free Dive Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Divers face challenges in underwater navigation due to the need to hold navigation tools, such as compasses, which limits hand use for other activities, and lack of visual references, leading to potential navigation errors and difficulty maintaining a horizontal position for efficient diving.
Innovation Solution
A dive computer with a position sensor fastened to the diver's torso, using fastening means to maintain a fixed position, combined with a separate display, allows for hands-free navigation and position monitoring by calculating pitch, roll angles, and compass direction using sensors like accelerometers and magnetometers, with wireless magnetic data transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a diver holds a compass for navigation, then navigation direction can be determined, but both hands are occupied making it difficult to operate additional equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The navigation function is separated from manual operation. The compass is integrated into the dive computer system and worn on the body, separating the measurement function from hand-held operation. This allows the diver to have hands free for equipment operation while the system continuously determines navigation direction through body-mounted sensors.
Solution Approach 2:
The dive computer system automatically determines navigation direction using the integrated compass and body orientation sensors without requiring manual intervention. The system self-calibrates and continuously updates position information, eliminating the need for the diver to manually hold and read a compass while maintaining accurate navigation data.
2Ease of operation
If a dive computer is mounted on the mask with integrated compass, then hands-free use is possible, but it is difficult to align precisely with the body's axis to determine exact swimming direction
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges multiple sensors (compass, accelerometers, gyroscopes) into an integrated dive computer worn on the body. This combination allows the system to compensate for misalignment by using sensor fusion algorithms that determine body orientation relative to the magnetic north, achieving both hands-free operation and precise direction determination.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where the dive computer continuously monitors body orientation through accelerometers and gyroscopes, comparing this data with compass readings. This feedback loop allows the system to calculate and correct for any misalignment between the device and body axis, maintaining accurate swimming direction determination even when the device is not perfectly aligned.
3Measurement precision
If GPS receivers are carried on a buoy, then position can be determined, but the cable connection is cumbersome and potentially dangerous
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts the position determination function from the buoy and integrates it directly into the dive computer worn by the diver. This eliminates the need for cable connections between buoy and diver, removing the cumbersome and potentially dangerous cable system while maintaining continuous position determination capability through body-mounted sensors.
4Device complexity
If the position sensor is integrated into a single unit, then the system is simpler, but the display cannot be optimally positioned for the diver's view
Solution Approach 1:
The dive computer system is segmented into separate functional modules: the position sensor and processing unit can be worn on the body (e.g., on the chest or back), while the display unit can be positioned separately for optimal visibility (e.g., on the mask or wrist). This modular segmentation maintains system simplicity through wireless communication between modules while allowing each component to be optimally positioned for its function.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables accurate determination of the diver's position and orientation relative to the horizontal, allowing hands-free navigation and real-time feedback, enhancing diving efficiency and reducing navigation errors.
Implementation Method 1
using sensors like accelerometers and magnetometers
Implementation Method 2
using sensors like accelerometers and magnetometers
Implementation Method 3
with wireless magnetic data transmission
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a dive computer for determining the position of a diver (2) with at least one position sensor (7), characterized in that the position sensor (7) has at least one fastening means (25) for fastening to the torso of the diver (2), and in that the position sensor (7) is designed to assume a substantially fixed position relative to the torso of the diver (2) by means of the fastening means (25) in the fastened state.