What it does
BuddyTalkie is a marinefriendly biomimetics device, inspired by deepsea creatures. It integrates a diving flashlight with full duplex optical voice communication,revolutionizing underwater exploration with innovation by combining technology & nature's wisdom.
Your inspiration
%71 of the Earth is covered with water and human have never stopped exploring the oceans with the ambition of diving deeper. Most of the comprehensive ocean explorations made to the underwater world and it became a great interest to the societies. Underwater wireless communication (UWC) makes these underwater explorations possible. However, bidirectional UWC is a challenging task, because the current wireless communication methods do not work under the water due to the physical properties of water medium. Current technology uses ultrasonic acoustic waves to perform UWC, but has drawbacks on marine life by causing underwater noise pollution.
How it works
BuddyTalkie is an underwater optical voice communication device with full duplex communication capabilities.Instead of using Acoustic or Radio waves,it uses light to perform communication.Sound waves travel in water medium, much faster than in the air and critically affected by the physical properties of the water.However,there are some marine creatures that also use ultrasonic waves for communication and hunting. As these creatures affected by these communication method, it drives us to find a more marine-friendly way to perform UWC. Sunlight can not reach to the bottom of the ocean,so creatures living in that deep below are well adapted to a life in the dark.BuddyTalkie mimics the bioluminescence properties of these creatures and uses Green Light for communication which is inherently safe to use.It gathers the voice of the diver and modulates it into the light,when a modulated light received by one of our system it demodulates it and convert it back to sound.
Design process
The design process began with thorough research into the challenges of underwater communication and the impact of existing technologies on marine life. Drawing inspiration from the bioluminescent properties of deep-sea creatures, the team conceptualized a marine-friendly communication device for underwater exploration. Prototyping played a crucial role in the design process. Multiple iterations were created to test different design aspects and functionalities. These prototypes were subjected to rigorous testing in simulated underwater conditions, allowing for evaluation of performance, usability, and safety. Valuable feedback from divers and experts guided iterative improvements, ensuring the device's reliability, durability, and user comfort. Throughout the design process, collaboration with experts in underwater exploration and communication played a vital role. Insights from these professionals, coupled with technological advancements, guided the refinement of the device's performance and user experience. The present-day BuddyTalkie represents the culmination of the design process. By combining a sophisticated diving flashlight with full duplex voice communication capabilities, BuddyTalkie offers efficient and reliable communication in the challenging underwater environment.
How it is different
BuddyTalkie's design sets it apart from other similar products in several key ways. Firstly, it takes a marine-friendly approach by drawing inspiration from the bioluminescent properties of deep-sea fishes, using light-based communication to minimize disruption to marine life and reduce underwater noise pollution. Secondly, BuddyTalkie integrates a sophisticated diving flashlight, providing divers with a reliable light source for enhanced visibility during underwater expeditions. This combination of communication and illumination streamlines the divers' equipment and simplifies their overall diving experience. Thirdly, the device offers full duplex voice communication, enabling simultaneous two-way communication between divers. This real-time, seamless communication enhances coordination and safety during underwater exploration, setting BuddyTalkie apart from devices with limited or one-way communication capabilities.
Future plans
The future plans for BuddyTalkie involve refining its design and advancing its capabilities. Key objectives include enhancing technology, miniaturizing the device, extending communication range, improving durability, including and expanding health monitoring features, expanding digital communication feature for integration to Autonomous Underwater Vehicles, integrating with dive planning systems, and fostering collaborations. These plans aim to establish BuddyTalkie as a leading communication device for safer and more efficient underwater exploration, meeting the evolving needs of divers and the underwater exploration community.
Awards
Our invention has achieved remarkable success in the renowned Ericsson Innovation Awards 2019. Out of hundreds worldwide applications, we secured an impressive 4th place. It was presented to esteemed jurors, including the Nobel Committee. We were also honored with the People's Choice Award.
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