Abstract
This work introduces the SmartPFD, a Personal Flotation Device (PFD)/Life vest featuring independently inflatable air compartments. Unlike off-the-shelf inflatable PFDs, the SmartPFD is designed to modulate the inflation of its compartments based on the wearer’s orientation and depth, with the aim of optimizing the device’s righting ability. Preliminary results suggest that by properly sequencing the activation of the compartments, the time required to turn the wearer face up can be reduced.
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Acknowledgments
The authors would like to acknowledge the assistance of all the students involved in this project, especially, Kevin Raleigh, Juan Sanchez, Stephanie Mallon, and Luke Pacchiana.
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Fraize, J., Furth, M., Zanotto, D. (2019). Design and Preliminary Validation of a Smart Personal Flotation Device. In: Carrozza, M., Micera, S., Pons, J. (eds) Wearable Robotics: Challenges and Trends. WeRob 2018. Biosystems & Biorobotics, vol 22. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-01887-0_93
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-01887-0_93
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