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Inventor Creates Flotation Device Bazooka

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."

6 of 144 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Projectile? by rubycodez · · Score: 5, Funny

    you'll be delighted to know that the impacted human will not have drowning as their cause of death

  2. Scrubs, anyone? by Dan+Dankleton · · Score: 4, Funny

    A floatation device bazooka sounds like something that The Janitor from Scrubs would create

  3. 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
  4. Re:Projectile? by Farmer+Tim · · Score: 5, Funny

    What about hitting a drowning human?

    Not as easy as hitting the water, but worth more points.

    --
    Blank until /. makes another boneheaded UI decision.
  5. Re:Er.. by loafula · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If I'd have to make a wager, I'd say the risk of hitting a person in the head with the projectile is much less than the risk of that person having to swim 150m through rough seas to get to a raft dropped off the side of a boat.

    --
    FOXTROT UNIFORM CHARLIE KILO
  6. Re:Projectile? by Migraineman · · Score: 4, Funny

    When the first one hits the water and inflates, you can use it as a shield.

    Sailor1:"Damn, I missed."
    Sailor2:"Shoot him again."
    Sailor1:"This isn't a video game, I'm trying to save the guy."
    Sailor2:"You'd better hurry, he's gonna camp behind the first one."
    Sailor1: *foomp*