Remotely operated marine rescue vehicle

Abstract

Drowning is the process of experiencing respiratory impairment from submersion or immersion in liquid which leads to death, permanent or temporary disability. People living close to the water bodies or involved in water related activities are prone to drowning. When a victim is identified to be drowning, the first response would be to bring him out of water at the earliest. The urgency of the situation causes lifeguards and rescue personnel to put themselves at risk to save the victim. Provided early buoyancy, victims in distress are presented with a chance of keeping afloat until assistance arrives. Lifesaving equipment's such as ring-buoys (life-buoys) are purpose-designed to provide flotation. By using a low-cost drone to act as a flotation device the risk of drowning may be lowered for both the victim as well as for the rescuer. This drone or robot must be easy to deploy, light weight, reliable, low cost and capable to carry average person to safety. The proposed product is a modified ring buoy controlled by a remote. The ring buoy size is standard SOLAS (Safety Of Life At Sea) approved, which has been proved to work under extreme sea conditions. The external attachment consists of underwater thruster for propulsion and watertight container containing electronics and battery. The ground station includes operator with transmitter and micro-controller. The project on full implementation aims to have major impact in reducing risks involved in saving drowning people and in aiding the population dwelling by the water bodies in their daily occupational activities. © 2020 Author(s).