Scrunchable Antenna Sewn Into Life Vests Could Help Rescuers Find the Lost
8 replies, posted
[QUOTE]Adventure-seekers can use all kinds of emergency beacon tech to help themselves get found in case they go missing — but in many cases, this requires sticking something in your pocket, from which it could conceivably fall out. A new antenna could instead be sewn right into your clothes, ensuring rescuers can find you so long as you’re wearing something.
Researchers at the European Space Agency worked with a private Finnish company to develop the stretchable, water-resistant antenna seen here. Click here to see a .GIF showing how well it holds up to scrunching.
It’s meant for life vests worn in the water, and connects to the Cospas-Sarsat distress signal network. The Cold War-era system consists of radio beacons on aircraft, ships and satellites, networked with ground receivers and search-and-rescue centers. A ship, plane or person can activate an emergency distress beacon, which transmits a signal that satellites can detect. The satellites report the distress call’s location to rescuers nearby, who can use it to narrow down their search area.
The wearable antenna would transmit a distress signal if the user activates it. It transmits a low-frequency signal, which is an impressive feat for such a small antenna. In field trials, a person wearing the life vest who was marooned at sea could be pinpointed within a few minutes, the ESA says.
The antenna is water- and tear-resistant, and it's been integrated into a suite of life vests made by a Danish outdoor equipment company called Viking. Another attachable version can be integrated into a typical life vest or dive vest, ESA says.
[img]http://www.popsci.com/files/imagecache/article_image_large/articles/1_0.gif[/img][/QUOTE]
Source: [url]http://www.popsci.com/gadgets/article/2011-09/fabric-antenna-sewn-life-vests-could-help-rescuers-find-lost[/url]
+1 Awesome points.
Does it get 3G?
If the rescuers can't get to me I'd really love to browse me some porn in my last hours.
[QUOTE=bobsmit;32598209]Does it get 3G?
If the rescuers can't get to me I'd really love to browse me some porn in my last hours.[/QUOTE]
You see, this is how they could have made 'Open Water' more entertaining.
Why wasn't this thought of before? Holy crap.
[QUOTE=RoflKawpter;32598321]Why wasn't this thought of before? Holy crap.[/QUOTE]
Because all inventions have to be thought up for the first time at some point.
It's basically wire laid out in a specific pattern. Not a break through of any sort. And the power some emergency radios broadcast at would be enough to burn a diamond into your back
[QUOTE=duno;32598502]It's basically wire laid out in a specific pattern. Not a break through of any sort. And the power some emergency radios broadcast at would be enough to burn a diamond into your back[/QUOTE]
You can have a knife and you can have a loaf of bread, but putting them together still makes a breakthrough, in my opinion.
[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;32598543]You can have a knife and you can have a loaf of bread, but putting them together still makes a breakthrough, in my opinion.[/QUOTE]
Ah, the deadly breadknife.
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