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Inventor Creates Flotation Device Bazooka

Posted by samzenpus on from the point-shoot-and-save dept.

Australian inventor Sam Adeloju has won the £20,000 ($32,000) James Dyson Award for inventing the coolest piece of life-saving equipment ever. The Longreach is a modified bazooka which can fire an expanding flotation device up to 150m to a person in distress. From the article: "Mr Adeloju told NEWS.com.au that the Longreach was inspired by a grenade-launch training session with the Army Reserves. Weighing just 3.5kg, it shoots the rescue device 150m in a manner similar to the way the army uses a grenade launcher to deliver flares and aerial observation devices. Hitting the water activates an expanding foam unit in the Longreach rescue unit, which also incorporates LED illumination and a vortex air whistle."

1 of 144 comments (clear)

  1. 200 year old technology by vlm · · Score: 5, Interesting

    That tech is about 200 years old. No kidding. 1st documented rescue rocket rescue 18 February 1808.

    http://members.iinet.net.au/~dodd/gail/publications/trengrouse/Essay.html

    --
    "Science flies us to the moon. Religion flies us into buildings." - Victor Stenger