The device can track divers’ progress and actions, and send an instant alert to someone on land if trouble occurs.
Sharknet has partnered with IoT tech company Aeris to collaborate on an IoT device designed to track a diver’s position and dive history and send an instant alert to someone if an emergency situation occurs at sea. The device is set to launch next month. It records and automatically sends a divers position to its user app, and it tracks their depth while they are underwater. When the diver surfaces they will be sent a history of their dive.
The device is operational to depths of 500 meters and includes a feature that will send the divers position to chosen contacts or first responders if they get into trouble. If they’re underwater they can tap the device and send it to the surface.
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The firm chose to work with Aeris after testing their IoT services platform and being pleased with the coverage and reliability it provides. Since the device will only be in use roughly 6 months of the year, the fact Aeris does not charge fees when devices are inactive was another plus. The company hopes to create an online community where divers can share their data and discuss the best dive sites and other dive related content.
“Our device helps people share their love of diving with one another by tracking the location and the depth profiles of their dives and then enabling them to easily share this dive history. We also offer the ability to send an emergency alert. Our device must be backed by reliable Internet of Things connectivity, and we need to work with a service provider that can provide this reliable connectivity over multiple locations, as diving takes place worldwide and people can often travel long distances when taking part in a dive. For this reason, we are delighted to be working with Aeris, which is renowned for offering reliable global IoT connectivity,” said Maurizio Banfi, CEO of Sharknet.