AirBuddy Fearas Tumadóireachta A Sholáthraítear Dromchla by Jan Kadlec

AirBuddy Fearas Tumadóireachta A Sholáthraítear Dromchla by Jan Kadlec is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2021 Duais Cré-umha A' Design Award in Dearadh Earraí Spóirt Competition Category.

Cré-umhaEarraí Spóirt· 2021

AirBuddy Fearas Tumadóireachta A Sholáthraítear Dromchla

by Jan Kadlec

Client: AirBuddy, OXY Pty Ltd

Duais Cré-umha A' Design Award Winner in Earraí Spóirt Category

30,174

Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #123807

Féach ar Thuilleadh View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About AirBuddy Fearas Tumadóireachta A Sholáthraítear Dromchla

Ó fad slí, tá AirBuddy cosúil le mionbhád inséidte - cúis mhara a chruthaíonn nasc mhothúchánach leis an bpríomhdheighleog custaiméirí, na bádóirí. Leis an bhfís chun an t-aonad SSBA áineasa is lú, is éadroime agus is cumhachtaí a chruthú, tá an dearadh feidhmiúil agus urramaíonn sé go nádúrtha dlíthe na fisice. Mar sin cén fáth go bhfuil an taiscumar aeir (snámhphointe) ag baint úsáide as cruth toroidal, an dara cruth is fearr (tar éis sféar) chun an fonsa agus an strus fadaimseartha a chruthaíonn an brú aeir ina ballaí a dháileadh. Cuireann dearadh AirBuddy in iúl go bhfuil sé éasca le húsáid, ach fós féin láidreacht agus sármhaitheas teicneolaíochta.

The Recognition

About the Duais Cré-umha A' Design Award

Bhuaigh an dearadh AirBuddy Fearas Tumadóireachta A Sholáthraítear Dromchla Duais Cré-umha A' Design Award, aitheantas an-ghradamach a bhronntar ar dhearaí sármhaithe a mbíonn cruthaitheacht, aireagacht agus géarchúis mar shaintréithe acu. Is déantúsáin ghlic agus chruthaitheacha go suntasach iad buaiteoirí Cré-umha a dhearbhaíonn taithí fhairsing, samhlaíocht agus acmhainneacht a ndearthóirí. Táthar ag súil go mbeidh an dearadh AirBuddy Fearas Tumadóireachta A Sholáthraítear Dromchla ina rud a bhfuil an-mheas air, a n-ardaítear agus a ghráitear, atá thar a bheith gairmiúil agus nuálach. Ionchorpraíonn an dearadh seo a bhuaigh Duais Cré-umha A' Design Award na cleachtais is fearr san ealaín, san eolaíocht, sa dearadh agus sa teicneolaíocht, agus tá sé sármhaith as a aird ar mhionsonraí. Sásaíonn an dearadh AirBuddy Fearas Tumadóireachta A Sholáthraítear Dromchla riachtanais go hálainn, bainíonn sé le mianta, cuireann sé draíocht ar mhothúcháin agus tarraingíonn sé fiosracht.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: AirBuddy bridges the gap between snorkelling and Scuba diving. The battery-powered floating dive compressor can be recharged from a socket, i.e. does not require any air refills, rentals, complicated logistics or bulky gear. It enables diving for almost an hour to one diver (up to 12m deep) or two divers (up to 6m deep) and weighs about 50-60 percent less than other dive gear on the market. The battery recharge costs only about 0.1 dollar (vs. 20 dollar for single air tank hire).
Dimensions & Packaging: 533 x 397 x 540 mm
(300mm excl. the dive flag)
Tags: Surface Supplied Diving Gear, SSBA, Hookah, Innovative Dive Gear, Self-guided Diving, Coral Reef Diving, Lobstering, Hull Cleaning, Fouled Prop Untanglement, Underwater Maintenance, Underwater Treasure Hunting, Underwater Photography
Production Technology: Designed with portability and stowability in mind, AirBuddy became the world's smallest and lightest recreational SSBA, yet significantly exceeds the performance and safety of other, larger, units with its 75lpm air flow, 38 psi pressure and 55 plus 10 min runtime. It features large 16l emergency air reservoir, water-cooled compressor, low battery underwater notification system, secure detachable magnetic switch, capsize protection, etc. - unique features previously not found in other SSBA units.
Design Challenge: The combination of size, weight, functional features, and aesthetic expectations from the customers, coupled with the safety aspects and regulations were impossible to achieve with the use of standard materials and conventional production technologies. We worked closely with the STU University of Technology and several expert plasticians and moulders to develop specialised mold and custom blend plastic resin to achieve strict tolerances and correct stress distribution as observed in the FEA models.
Research: AirBuddy is a result of 4 years of research and development, 10 generations of working prototypes and hundreds of modifications and test scenarios. We studied various aspects of diving physics and human anatomy that we then turned into functional, technical and safety requirements that formed the base for AirBuddy design. Our team of divers and engineers performed hundreds of bench tests and test dives in ocean to develop the key features, such as the emergency air reserve, capsize protection, underwater notification system, secure detachable switch, position control, etc.
Inspiration: Unlike many other sports, Scuba diving is not a grab-and-go activity. It requires preparation and logistics. Renting (or filling) air tanks at a dive centre takes time and costs money. The gear is heavy and bulky. It becomes a logistical nightmare when there is a significant distance to the dive centre, outside of opening hours, when on a boat, etc. We set out to design a small, lightweight, and user-friendly dive gear that provides independence of the infrastructure and is travel-friendly.
Project Duration: Our team of passionate divers, mechanical engineers and experienced entrepreneurs is based in Sydney, Australia. AirBuddy evolved from a passion project that started in 2014 and since then made splash winning several business competitions, receiving multiple grants, attracting the attention of global media and joining the ranks of top 1 percent of crowdfunding campaigns.
Operation Flow: AirBuddy is a small, portable surface supplied dive gear (hookah) for recreational, self-guided shallow water diving. AirBuddy provides a lightweight, compact and hassle-free alternative to air tanks. It runs off a rechargeable, battery-powered air compressor that provides fresh air from the surface for 55 min (plus reserve) at a max depth of up to 12 m (40 ft). Just recharge the battery and dive. No air tanks or bulky gear! AirBuddy is a popular choice for exploring reefs, hull cleaning, underwater boat maintenance, lobster diving or treasure hunting.