Autopilot

[lairdb]

What more do you want it do, automatic ascents?

Actually, y not? (Sorry, couldn't resist.)

Admittedly, and particularly so in America, there is a huge resistance to handing over some tasks that are viewed as particularly personal (e.g. resistance to selfdriving and even autoparking systems), and we've all laughed about it in the past WRT the HUB, but...

Assume reliability is there, and cost is neutral to today's computers. Also, remember that not everyone is a cave&overhead diver. Why shouldn't the computer sit at the end, or perhaps at the elbow, of the inflator hose, and wholly manage a free ascent, with stops as desired?

("Those newfangled stab jackets will never succeed -- in my day, we just took one big breath and carried some rocks.")

 

[startag]

And no doubt there will be some rich sap who doesnt want to go through the hassle of managing his own life and will trust some fancy computer to do it for him. Should it ever fail you'll still need to know how to do it on your own anyways.

Personally, Id rather take diving in my own hands and manage my own ascents etc. Using a computer is one thing, but you still have to know how to do certain tasks on your own to verify the readouts that your computer is giving you.

Automation is a great thing, but I think it has its limitations. Then again, don't take my word for it cause in a couple years it wouldn't surprise me to see something like this available to recreational divers.

 

[DMDC01]

I thought it was already available, I figured it was built into the flight controls!! (get it, "autopilot", "flight control", made by cressi)? I know, stupid joke.... I'm sooo stuuuupit!!

 

[Diver0001]

Actually, y not? (Sorry, couldn't resist.)

Admittedly, and particularly so in America, there is a huge resistance to handing over some tasks that are viewed as particularly personal (e.g. resistance to selfdriving and even autoparking systems), and we've all laughed about it in the past WRT the HUB, but...

Assume reliability is there, and cost is neutral to today's computers. Also, remember that not everyone is a cave&overhead diver. Why shouldn't the computer sit at the end, or perhaps at the elbow, of the inflator hose, and wholly manage a free ascent, with stops as desired?

("Those newfangled stab jackets will never succeed -- in my day, we just took one big breath and carried some rocks.")

you never know, you know. There must be a market for a device that would stop an unintentional buoyant ascent or to force an ascent with dangerously low air supply.

that's a far cry from calling it a good idea, but it might be marketable...... hell, if the HUB's could make it to market, you just never know.....

R..

 

[abowie]

And no doubt there will be some rich sap who doesnt want to go through the hassle of managing his own life and will trust some fancy computer to do it for him.

Should it ever fail you'll still need to know how to do it on your own anyways..

Weeell now, that sounds a LOT like an ECCR to me.

Must admit you wouldn't catch me using one of them either

Seriously though, uncontrolled buoyant ascents do cause significant morbidity and occasional mortality and some diving/hyperbaric physicians (Dr Chris Acott for example) feel quite strongly that some design modification to them might decrease this. Whether that means that your BC shold fly YOU rather than the other way around is of course another question.

 

[startag]

Well the dive community is always looking for ways to improve safety, reliability, and ease of diving. But I just dont think its a good idea to have an "autopilot" control certain aspects of diving. It just makes people too complacent - they stop thinking for themselves. To me, its more dangerous to have people not think for themselves because then they dont know how to manage an emergency situation should it occur because they're just relying on their computer to fix the problem for them.