I found this website that discusses underwater GPS units. I want to find out more about how well it works. This may be the solution to how we will track our locations.
http://www.navimate.com/detail.html
The accuracy and convenience
of GPS is finally available for recreational and technical
divers in a wrist-mounted unit.
See your exact latitude and longitude while underwater
Computer interface allows saving of marked
points and downloading of new maps
Detailed map of underwater terrain
keeps you oriented (where available)
Requires only small transmitter hung from
boat or buoy
Mark interesting locations and return
to the exact spot on future dives
Range of up to one mile from transmitter
Display shows current heading
as well as direction back to boat or buoy
Shows position of your dive buddies
when they have Navimate™
Enhances diver safety – never get lost
Here is some additional information and answers to common questions:
Because GPS signals are not directly receivable under water, Navimate™ functions through use of a small unit that is most commonly hung from a dive boat or buoy (the “GPS gateway”). The GPS gateway has a floating radio antenna in order to determine its exact location, and communicates with the wrist units via its underwater transducer portion, using acoustic signals. As a result of this communication, the wrist units know their range and bearing from the GPS gateway, as well as the exact position of the gateway. This allows the wrist units to calculate their own absolute position, independent of the position or motion of the GPS gateway. The gateway or the boat to which it may be attached is free to drift without affecting the position displayed by Navimate™. The position is displayed on the Navimate™ screen both as latitude and longitude values as well as a “dot”.
Other Navimate™ units within about 100 yards (90 meters) are broadcasting their position, and will be plotted as small diver icons on each other’s screens. These icons can be tagged with identifying information, as well as the diver’s depth and velocity, if desired. The location of the dive boat is also shown, as well as a compass rose with the diver’s current heading, and the heading back to the dive boat. The Navimate™ display can be zoomed in and out to change the scale of the area displayed on the screen as desired by the diver.
The acoustic communication between the Navimate™ units and the GPS gateway are relatively low-power, wideband digital signals that will have no impact on marine life – they will only be heard as a low level noise-like sound.
The local communication between the Navimate™ devices allows for features such as an “SOS” alert to the diver’s buddies, or even the sending of messages between divers.
In order to get back to the boat the diver need only turn until his indicated heading aligns with the heading back to the boat, and swim in that direction. However, this system offers much more functionality than previous “how do I get back to the boat” beacon systems. With one button press the diver can mark interesting or important locations (“waypoints”) in order to return to their exact positions on any future dive, as well as record a “track” of the path of their dive, including depth information. These waypoints and tracks can be uploaded to a computer at any time, and downloaded back to Navimate for use in the future.
The contour maps of underwater terrain are a “bonus” to allow divers to see local features, and the unit loses no functionality if maps are not currently available for the dive site. We support a number of common map formats, which allows downloading of additional maps from a computer as they become available. Navimate™ also has the ability to display additional information for the dive site, such as local fish species, or interesting aspects of the site. The firmware (resident software) in Navimate will also be field downloadable, allowing units to be upgraded to support new features by downloads from our website.
The depth limit of the initial device will be determined only by pressure limits, and will be 250 feet (75 meters) for initial production units.
Maximum operating range from the boat to the wrist units is ½-1 mile (.8-1.6 kilometers), depending on ocean conditions (highly turbulent water, kelp, etc.). Accuracy is 20-40 feet (6-12 meters) at the maximum range, and 10 feet (3 meters) at distances of ¼ mile (400 meters) or less (limited by GPS accuracy). There must be a reasonably good line of sight between the Navimate™ wrist unit and the GPS gateway. The signal will be “diffracted” around smaller obstacles such as a pile of rocks, but can be blocked by larger objects, such as wrecks. In these circumstances a second GPS gateway can be deployed from a buoy, to insure complete coverage of the area.
We have been extensively testing prototype hardware and software and are beginning manufacturing of production units. Navimate™ will be availablefor retail sales in 2011. The wrist unit will retail for approximately US$1200, and the GPS gateway for US$500. We will be offering the GPS gateway free to shops, clubs or other organizations that purchase a minimum number of the wrist units and will also be placing the gateways on selected dive boats at no cost. Instructor discounts for Navimate™ will also be available.
Soon after the initial release of Navimate™ we will be offering a “no display” unit at reduced price, which will be designed for attaching to the tanks of students with an instructor or divers being led by a divemaster. The instructor or divemaster will then be able to keep track of the location of the other divers in his or her group, but those divers will not be burdened with the distraction (or the cost) of a wrist-mounted unit.
The next product (now being designed) will answer the many requests to be able to keep track of diver locations from the dive boat. The Navimate units are broadcasting their GPS positions on a low-power acoustic beacon, allowing us to map the locations of dive buddies within a range of about 100 yards (90 meters). In order to be able to keep track of diver locations at the full ½-1 mile (.8-1.6 kilometers) operating range of Navimate, we will offer a more sensitive acoustic receiver that can be used from the boat and connected to a laptop or other shipboard display.
Finally, the obvious follow-on product integrates a dive computer with Navimate™. We have plans to build such a unit, possibly as a joint product development with an existing computer manufacturer.
For applications such as submersible vehicles, we will manufacture a ruggedized OEM version of Navimate™, able to operate at increased depth, and including external connections for synchronization with devices such as video cameras, as well as allowing for remote connection of display panels.
Future enhancements include increasing the accuracy of Navimate™ to three feet or less by using a more sophisticated GPS system at the gateway.
We welcome feedback and suggestions for enhancement of Navimate™’s functionality. Please email us at sales@navimate.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact:Dr. Barry MegdalShb Instruments, Inc.818-773-2000818-773-2005bmegdal@navimate.comwww.navimate.com
New Device Makes GPS Available to Divers
Northridge, California —Shb Instruments, Inc. announces a revolutionary new product for the dive industry. Navimate™ is the first product to provide divers with the full functionality, convenience and safety of GPS navigation and positioning while underwater. This affordable wrist-mounted product displays the diver’s exact latitude and longitude, as well as his or her position on a high resolution map of the underwater terrain. Important locations can be easily marked so they can be found on future dives. As an added benefit, returning to a dive boat is now made easy. If the diver’s buddies are also equipped withNavimate™, they can each see the position of their buddies on the map on their wrist. This device will not only make diving easier, more fun and more productive, but will add a substantial increased measure of safety as well. Navimate™ uses state-of-the-art communication and signal processing technology. It was developed by a team led by Dr. Barry Megdal, who has a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Caltech and is currently a faculty member in the Caltech Electrical Engineering Department. Dr. Megdal is also a NAUI-certified dive instructor.The use of GPS has become ubiquitous in our lives, but until now, divers were unable to benefit from this technology. "Divers have been asking to be able to use GPS for years, and now Navimate™will make that possible", said Dr. Megdal. Because of the long-standing demand, Shb Instruments expects this product to be highly successful.Shb Instruments will be displaying Navimate™ at booth 1510 of the 2010 Dive Equipment Manufacturer’s Association (DEMA) show November 17-20 in Las Vegas, Nevada.For additional information, contact:Dr. Barry MegdalShb Instruments, Inc.818-773-2000818-773-2005bmegdal@navimate.comwww.navimate.comShb Instruments was founded in 1976 and is an industry leader in design, development and production of state-of-the-art electronic systems.
Contact Us:
Navimate™
19215 Parthenia St., Suite A
Northridge, CA 91324
phone: 818.773.2000
fax: 818.773.2005
email: sales@navimate.com
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