A team of researchers at the University of Washington has developed the first underwater 3D-positioning app for a smartwatch. Diving into the depths of the ocean can be an exhilarating experience for scuba and snorkeling enthusiasts.
However, the lack of visibility underwater can pose safety risks, especially when divers need to locate each other during emergencies. To address this challenge, the team created this app for smartwatches.
Underwater GPS on Smartwatches
Unlike GPS systems that rely on satellites to locate devices, underwater signals quickly dissipate due to water's properties. Nevertheless, sound travels efficiently in water, offering an alternative communication method.
According to the research team, previous underwater positioning systems required costly buoys, making them impractical for many divers. The new smartwatch app aims to change the game.
When three divers are within approximately 98 feet of each other, their smart devices' speakers and microphones that are connected to each other allow the app to track the location of each diver relative to the group leader.
Lead author Tuochao Chen, a doctoral student at the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, highlighted the significance of this development.
He explained that these "mobile devices today can work nearly anywhere on Earth. You can be in a forest or on a plane and still get internet connectivity. "
"But the one place where we still hadn't made mobile devices work was underwater. It's kind of the final frontier," he added.
Traditional underwater positioning systems relied on strategically placed buoys, but the new app proves that such equipment is unnecessary.
By sending acoustic signals through their devices' microphones and speakers, divers can estimate distances based on timestamps, allowing the app to calculate each diver's location in relation to the leader.
If the smartwatch includes depth tracking, similar to specific sports monitors, the system can provide 3D location information for divers.
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Building Upon AquaApp
The app operates with at least three devices and achieves accuracy as additional devices join the network. In tests conducted with four to five devices in local lakes and a pool, the app estimated locations with an average error of approximately 5 feet, ensuring divers can easily maintain visibility in various conditions.
To obtain precise GPS coordinates, the dive leader must be wirelessly connected to a surface device on a boat equipped with GPS capabilities.
This technology builds upon the success of AquaApp, a previous breakthrough from the same lab that allows divers to send messages to each other underwater. Together, these innovations aim to empower divers to communicate effectively and enhance safety during underwater adventures.
"This and AquaApp can be used together," said author Justin Chan, a UW doctoral student in the Allen School. "For example, if the dive leader finds someone going the wrong way, the leader can send an alert: 'Hey, you're going out of range. You need to come back.' Or if a diver is running out of gas, an SOS can let the team find the person quickly even in murky water."
