SenTAG helps prevent drowning, wirelessly

Swimming is fun, but drowning, most certainly, is not. The makers of SenTAG know this, and have developed a system that monitors swimmers' depth and motion, alerting them, with a series of alarms and LEDs, if they might be in danger. The set-up, which is designed mostly for public swimming holes, consists of radio/ultrasound transmitters (worn around swimmers' wrists) and a base station that alerts rescue personnel if someone isn't responding to the alarm. No building modification is required for installation, meaning there won't be any wires running through or around the water and operating cost is kept relatively low. The most exciting part for us, though, is that the whole rescue process is now one step closer to being completely electronic. Eventually, the SenTAG could be used to signal a Strider robot, which could drag the victim back to land where the CPR bot could be applied. But, don't worry lifeguards, that day is still a long way off.

[ben @ Jun 21st 2006 10:41AM]

Is it me or is that realllly worthless? If you are drowning, will some lights flashing in your face make you stop? "Oh, I better stop drowning... Dang it... Some people have all the fun.."

"Swimming is fun, but drowning, most certainly, is not."
I love engadget.

[Ally @ Jun 21st 2006 10:57AM]

"Swimming is fun, but drowning, most certainly, is not. The makers of SenTAG know this,"

lol!

Quality writing! Why i love you engadget! :P

[Aphid @ Jun 21st 2006 11:03AM]

This might actually be one of those products that would be better wired. Then, if someone was drowning, you could just yank them out of the pool.

[gio @ Jun 21st 2006 11:22AM]

I guess if you feel in danger then u would press the button. Question is: How fast will u be saved?

[Racekarl @ Jun 21st 2006 11:27AM]

The idea with the wrist alert is that if to the system you appear to be drowning, but in reality you're OK, the system will flash at you and you can silence it with a button, which prevents the base station alarm from going off, thus reducing false alarms.

[apt @ Jun 21st 2006 11:32AM]

Sometimes I wonder if people ever actually even read the article.

>> and a base station that alerts rescue personnel if someone isn't responding to the alarm

Ok, if you are drowning, then obviously you will not respond to the alarm, ergo, the alarm will go off, and you would be rescued. You don't push the button if you're drowning! Read the article before you post comments, people...

[David @ Jun 21st 2006 11:45AM]

I'm going to get one of these and wear it at night. It will keep me safe when I have those dreams.

[Scabies @ Jun 21st 2006 11:58AM]

I dunno, I almost drowned as a kid, and I remember panicking and splashing around... going motionless to set off the alarm?

Not to mention "Look at that dork's SenTAG tan! What a loser!"

[casey @ Jun 21st 2006 12:06PM]

First step to technology replacing sight and intuition. I wonder what the rate of false alarms is.

"Oh, you were just floating on your back for relaxation?! DO YOU KNOW HOW SCARED WE WERE? The ALARM went off. But noooo, you were just having a leisurly swim. Shame on you"

[Nathan Loden @ Jun 21st 2006 12:11PM]

When I was a kid, I spotted someone at the bottom of the deep end motionless. I pointed it out to a grown-up who jumped in and pulled the kid out. He survived the incident, but if I hadn't noticed or wasn't there ... SenTAG may have saved him in that case ... It still doesn't replace adult supervision.

[Del Taco @ Jun 21st 2006 1:08PM]

That beeping wrist unit will hose you in the middle of a round of Marco Polo.

[WedgeTalon @ Jun 21st 2006 4:01PM]

I wonder if it could help those who have an intense fear of drowning to overcome it by providing a psychological reassuarnce that they will be ok...

[teo @ Jun 22nd 2006 9:44AM]

great, now we can issue wristbands to every swimmer at the pool and have one deskjockey monitoring the base station and save money on lifeguards. Unless we actually need one, I guess.

[Brent Mann @ Jun 23rd 2006 9:51AM]

Great product to sell on the Beaches of Florida for Tourists that are bored stupid and nothing else to spend their ching on...LOL....cheers.

"See You On The Beach"...Brent Mann AATCM "GotToHaveItNow..."Get A Charge"...AATCM

[Bo Gus @ Jun 24th 2006 11:56AM]

With the new SenTAG coupled with the Strider robots, I for one welcome our new life-saving, CPR giving, robot overlord system?

[Bo Gus @ Jun 24th 2006 11:56AM]

With the new SenTAG coupled with the Strider and CPR bots, I for one welcome our new life-saving, CPR giving, robot overlord.....system?