When it comes to open water safety, every second counts. The faster you can reach a person in distress, the higher the chance of saving their life. While technologies like U Safe and EMILY allow for quick deployment, they may be hindered by choppy waters as watercraft. Enter the Water Rescue Drone TY-3R Flying Lifebuoy from Chinese drone maker Didiok Makings. As the name suggests, this device is essentially a lifebuoy that flies to water users in distress, offering a rapid response alternative.
The TY-3R can fly at speeds of up to 13 m/s (25 knots, or about 47 km/h or 29 mph), quickly providing a lifesaver to struggling swimmers and buying crucial time while rescuers on a watercraft make their way to the scene. The drone also boasts a significant flight ceiling of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet), enabling it to clear large ships to reach its destination.
Slightly larger than a regular lifebuoy, the device measures 935 by 935 mm and is 121 mm tall (about 37 x 37 x 5 inches). It offers a buoyancy of 190 N, enough to support two adults, and is waterproof with an IP68 rating, allowing it to be submerged up to 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) for up to an hour. So in the event it gets pulled under, it will survive to fulfill its duties. It is capable of both taking off from and landing on water, shutting down its motors upon landing to ensure safety for those in the water. Additionally, its rotors are protected with grills to safeguard users’ limbs and digits.
The TY-3R features a remote control range of 1.1 kilometers (684 miles) and doesn’t require line of sight, thanks to a tiltable onboard 720p camera that provides a real-time view via an integrated 5-inch monitor on the remote control. The remote includes joysticks for maneuvering and offers one-touch takeoff and one-touch return functions. Once the individuals are safe, the operator can simply press a button to recall the drone to its base – if the human rescuers did not pick it up with them.
The Water Rescue Drone TY-3R Flying Lifebuoy is now available to the international market through the Didiok Makings website for US$11,803. While not the first of its kind—the Westpac Little Ripper, which we have previously featured, serves a similar function by dropping flotation devices to people in trouble—the TY-3R stands out with its ability to fly directly to those in need.
Images: Didiok Makings.
via New Atlas.
