You thought the "elevator BC" is a useless piece of crap? Check out this "advance"

[AbyssalPlains]

UnderwaterTimes | 'Electronic Dive Buddy' Set To Make Scuba Diving A Much Safer Sport; Automatically Adjusts Buoyancy

How embarrassing. According to the article, at least one of the engineers is "an avid diver", and they are still convinced that - quote - "To rise in the water, a diver adds air to the buoyancy control device. To sink, air is let out"??? No wonder buoyancy is seen as such a hard skill to master - apparently there are still instructors out there who teach this way.

 

[Otter]

Its a science project, it will never see an LDS.

 

[Thalassamania]

In the early 1990s we built a "stay where you are" system for an ROV. We played for a while with the buoyancy control system in a self contained mode attached to a diver's tank. It was an interesting experiment and worked rather well. But ... it was a pain in the butt for diving. It was easier to just control your buoyancy the normal way than to use the push on/push off control and then surrender to it's rather slow adjustment cycle while staying within its operational window.

 

[AbyssalPlains]

Thalassamania, I really like your signature. Way to go.

 

[Thalassamania]

Nice to know that General Powell agrees with you.

 

[Cave Diver]

Cool! With a device like that maybe my bouyancy will finally be good enough to cave dive!

Oh, wait...

 

[Gombessa]

It's really not a bad idea on first impression. Every recently-certified engineer I've ever met has toyed with the notion of inventing this, to the point where I was surprised that this was the first time some actually did!

 

[The Kraken]

How would it acommodate for the individual's breathing cycles and habits?

the K

 

[Thalassamania]

That was the real problem. The input was pressure (depth) and had to be buffered so that it did not keep seeking. Buoyancy and it's changes with respect to depth is a positive feedback loop, with the overlay of changes in buoyancy as a result of breathing ... well ... its a problem that we did not find a good solution for.

 

[The Kraken]

Bet it didn't have a "Holy ****!!! There's a Great White !!!!!" mode, either . . .

the K