Longreach's livesaving buoyancy aid wins James Dyson innovation award

A buoyancy bazooka which could save thousands of lives has won this year’s international James Dyson award. Chosen from a final short of 15 by inventor James Dyson, the device from Longreach shoots an emergency buoyancy aid up to 150 metres out to sea.

Made from hydrophobic foam, it rapidly expands upon hitting the water. It’s equipped with flares for night-time illumination and allows the victim to remain buoyant for a longer period of time. Says James Dyson: “Longreach is a smart solution to a very real problem. A product’s functionality couldn’t be more important when it’s used to save someone’s life.”

Samuel Adeloju, 24, an industrial design graduate from Sydney, will receive a £10,000 cash prize. His engineering faculty at the University of New South Wales will also receive £10,000. Samuel will also have the chance to visit Dyson’s research, design and development centre and learn more about its design process from Dyson engineers.

Each year around 100 people drown off the UK coast and more than 13,500 incidents occur due to swimmers been swept out by rip rides or currents.

http://www.jamesdysonaward.org/

http://www.jamesdysonaward.org/