At S.O.S systems security at sea is our main priority. Because we know there's always a risk of falling over board, we developed our Man Over Board sensing and tracking device. Whether sailing is your profession or your hobby, this product is designed for you.
This product is sold as a kit. Once the scanning antenna is installed on your boat all you need to do is clip the module inside your lifejackets.
Why you should choose our product:
Easy to install and replace - Clip it and forget about it
Practical - Full integrated, no extra device
Affordable
No maintenance – Up to 10 years before replacement
Reliable – Once in water it will emit for days
How does it work?
The two main objectives are to send an alarm when a person falls overboard and additionally to help detect and locate the person.
In order to detect whether a person has fallen off the boat we choose a different approach than most other Man over Board systems. Rather than detecting the distance between the person and the boat we decided to use a cheaper technology which detects whether the person is under water. This will be done using a clip attached to the inner tube of the life jacket which will physically activate the device when the contacts on the clip come together. At the same time a float with an antenna is released to make sure the signal is sent properly. Once the contacts come together, the system starts emitting.
On the boat, the location is logged on your GPS as soon as a signal is received. Then the beacon will guide you to locate the person.
This video shows how the lifejacket sensor works:
How is the beacon activated?
In order to detect whether a person has fallen off the boat we choose a different approach than most other Man over Board systems. Rather than detecting the distance between the person and the boat we decided to use a cheaper technology which detects whether the person is under water. This will be done using a clip attached to the inner tube of the life jacket which will physically activate the device when the contacts on the clip come together.
How does the beacon work?
For the detection mechanism we use a Radiolocation system. The basic principle is that there is a small transmitter that emits ultrahigh frequency (UHF) radio wave “chirps” that can be detected using a receiver which will recognise the emitted signal. In order to enable such a system the device on the person has be kept out of the water. We will therefore use a floating device which will float on top of the water and can transmit the signal.
How is it detected?
There is a directional scanning antenna positioned in the highest point on the boat to avoid any obstructions to the signal. It detects the signal no matter which way it is pointing but it will be a weaker signal unless the antenna points in the correct direction. Once a signal is received the antenna will rotate to the position where the signal is at its strongest. Then travel in the direction of the antenna to locate the missing passenger or crew member.
To see how the pressure sensor works look in the technology section.
For further detail on the technicalities of the project please see out REPORT
