During the 2022 McMaster Designathon, I worked on a team with 3 others to design a scuba-assist, a medical multi-tool with 48 hours, that helps scuba divers resurface immediately to the water in the case of an emergency, minimizing the extreme risks that come with diving. Although we didn’t win this competition, it was still an amazing learning experience and I would love to do it again C:

Objectives

1. Allows the diver to resurface in a controlled/fast manner
2. Also resurfaces them automatically in emergencies

Constraints

1. Control rate of resurfacing, and allow override if needed
2. Must be rust-proof, safer use in water
3. Mechanism must withstand high pressures
4. Ideally carry emergency medical aid/tools
5. Does not hinder movement of scuba divers

Prototypes

We split off to make our own prototypes that followed these

My Prototype

Our Solution

We developed a Kevlar belt with six cone propellers that activate whenever the scuba diver's heart rate is abnormally fast (using heart-rate monitor and oximeter) so that they resurface immediately.

We also made sure that the cone’s bottom was heavier than it’s main body to ensure that the propellers faced downwards and so the scuba diver will resurface directly upwards

https://youtu.be/I8xXQiTHTFI