Function
In collaboration with Footfalls and Heartbeats, the Revival Vest is a self-inflated life jacket which is triggered to inflate by changes in bodily signs such as cerebral hypoxia during drowning. The vest uses Footfalls and Heartbeats smart fabric technology which monitors respiration. More specifically, the fabric detects change in circumference and stretch around the chest while the diver suppresses breathing. If the user blacks out the body becomes limp and the life vest is triggered to inflate and bring the diver to the surface in an upright safety position ready for resuscitation.
Inspiration
The inspiration for this project came from the death of a family friend due to shallow-water blackout during freediving. He was an athletic and healthy medical student who took safety precautions as he knew the risks of what he was doing. Shallow water blackout is something that can happen to even the most experienced divers and can occur without little warning. Therefore the issue was established and I saw potential within the Footfalls and Heartbeats smart fabric technology to make improvements to the sport and prevent the likelihood of it happening again.
The form of the vest is streamlined to work with the body and not against. It was designed to be thin and light weight so that the experience of the breath hold diver is not hindered.
Chest Strap
(Sits in contact with skin underneath the Wetsuit)
The chest strap is attached underneath the wetsuit. The Footfalls and Heartbeats smart fabric (grey material) technology measures chest movement and compression underwater.
Upon inflation the diver is put in a laid back safety position with the head above water, preventing further intake of fluid into the lungs while maintaining availability for rescue and resuscitation.
The bladder pouches are equiped with quick burst zips that open when forced. A CO2 canister and automatic inflation device is located in the back pouch and runs vertically down the spine to fit with the form.
The tubes transfer CO2 from the back pouch to inflate the front bladder and allolw for maximum movement
The pocket on the front houses an easy to access manual inflation pull tab, if the diver were to become consciously in trouble.
How it works
Development
Special thanks to,
