Eco Factor: Bazooka-fired buoyancy aid can save thousands of lives.
A portable bazooka-fired buoyancy aid, christened Longreach, has won the 2010 James Dyson Award, by competing alongside 14 other finalists. The device, which can save thousands of lives in the UK, is made from hydrophobic foam, which expands in water. The Longreach can be fired 150m out to sea and includes flares that help attract the attention of the needy.
On hitting water, the systems expands and can allow the victim to remain buoyant for a longer period of time, before the rescue workers get to the person. The designer, Samuel Adeloju, an industrial design graduate from Sydney, has been awarded a £10,000 cash prize and another £10,000 has been awarded to his engineering faculty at the University of New South Wales.
Via: Gizmodo
