= New Skydiving Gear =

[miraclecreator 0]

Hi,

I'm an industrial designer from georgia tech and I'm currently working on designing a new communication device for skydivers during freefall.

I'm in need of some feedbacks as well as some volunteers that'll be willing to take my device for a test run while you're up there. (It'll be a small device that straps on to your wrist and won't interfere with any existing gears) If anyone's interested please contact me at [email protected]

Please take the time to fill up my survey, your opinions help me design a better, safer, and more efficient communication device:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LN8VBW7


Thanks! I'm really in need of some help right now so any skydiver who's willing to help will be appreciated


Benny

[jsreznor 0]

Um, when do you think skydivers have time to talk during freefall?

[Andy9o8 0]

I wish you well in your research and design, but your survey needs a fair amount of re-design for it to be of practical use to you. Sometimes a survey needs to be preceded by more basic research in order that the survey may be well-structured; this is a good example. I respectfully suggest you first either learn a good deal more about skydiving, or have a skydiver help you prepare your questions.

For example:

Your "how many jumps have you done?" question reflects your lack of understanding that it takes roughly between 500 to 1,000 jumps for a skydiver to be considered "experienced" by his peers in the sport. These days, a person with a mere 200 jumps would be considered not much more than intermediate level.

You should probably first educate yourself on whether "communications devices" are (or are not) currently in existence/use in skydiving. The phrasing of your questions seems to suggest that you have not yet done this.

Re: "What are some of the common mistakes people make while skydiving?" - For reasons that skydivers understand, and about which you need to educate yourself, this question is so broadly phrased as to be of very little use.

[Squeak 17]

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Um, when do you think skydivers have time to talk during freefall?

There is already an air to air communication device on the market.
and they have used it VERY sucessfully on a few big way jumps.
Not to mention the value it could have in Canopy relative work.

Dont be so quick to dismiss things, with 108 jumps you have yet to see and learn most of what is on offer out there.

So have I

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[miraclecreator 0]

Hi,

Yea I do apologize for not being clear; Let me make that a bit clearer; I'm aiming to replace/add value to current existing altimeter; I said communication device because I'm hoping to develop one that 'communicates' altitude between the student and instructor; hence the instructor can make quick judgment calls based on their altitudes (the instructor can see student's altitude) if there something wrong with the student

[Squeak 17]

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Hi,

Yea I do apologize for not being clear; Let me make that a bit clearer; I'm aiming to replace/add value to current existing altimeter; I said communication device because I'm hoping to develop one that 'communicates' altitude between the student and instructor; hence the instructor can make quick judgment calls based on their altitudes (the instructor can see student's altitude) if there something wrong with the student

umm you do realise that in early stages of student progression, the instructor is actually holding on to the student, and has his own Alti??

what you just suggested would be kinda redundant

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[wildcard451 0]

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Hi,

Yea I do apologize for not being clear; Let me make that a bit clearer; I'm aiming to replace/add value to current existing altimeter; I said communication device because I'm hoping to develop one that 'communicates' altitude between the student and instructor; hence the instructor can make quick judgment calls based on their altitudes (the instructor can see student's altitude) if there something wrong with the student

If something goes so wrong as to where the instructor has no idea as to the altitude of the student +/- a couple (tens) of feet related to his own.....then everyone's already fucked.

[popsjumper 2]

...and if an instructor is so far off level with his student that he needs a device to tell him by how much, there's other issues going on that no device will fix.

OP barking up the wrong tree, IMO.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[miraclecreator 0]

True, being able to share altitudes between skydivers should still prove useful regardless you know? At least according the skydiving instructors I've talked to.

Also, I'm hoping it'll be able to send signals or a way to signal that the user's in trouble; I understand that there's very little time while you're freefalling, but I see that there aren't a lot of things being done in this area and maybe even just adding a visual cue might help?

[wildcard451 0]

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True, being able to share altitudes between skydivers should still prove useful regardless you know? At least according the skydiving instructors I've talked to.

Also, I'm hoping it'll be able to send signals or a way to signal that the user's in trouble; I understand that there's very little time while you're freefalling, but I see that there aren't a lot of things being done in this area and maybe even just adding a visual cue might help?

You're not a jumper, and it's obvious. Go make 100 jumps or so and you'll see why everyone here is tell you this isn't remotely useful.

[IanHarrop 37]

an LCD device for communications during a skydive LOL

At first I thought this was a serious post, but the more I think about it I think someone is just having fun being silly.

"Where troubles melt like lemon drops, away above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me" Dorothy

[miraclecreator 0]

I see, well I'm very open minded and I'm set for developing a communication device for skydiving. I won't deny that I'm not an expert, I've only jumped once.

So right now I need some help + feedback, and let me ask this question:

What do you like to improve on current way of communicating? and what are some of the common issues?

I apologize if it seems like a joke to some of you, but I assure you it's not, my main goal is to reduce 'pilot error' here via communication. So please feel free to express your opinions here, and I'll take them into consideration.

[davelepka 4]

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I apologize if it seems like a joke to some of you, but I assure you it's not, my main goal is to reduce 'pilot error' here via communication. So please feel free to express your opinions here, and I'll take them into consideration.

Skydiving is a high speed, dynamic environment, and as such it is key that jumpers are visually paying attention to their surroundings. This is one reason that audible altimeters have become so popular, they beep into the jumpers ear at preset altitudes so the jumper can keep their eyes on the action.

With this in mind, a vision based device is not what skydivers need. Audible devices are the best fit, and they are already in existence. Ground to air radios are in ude for almost every skydiving student in the US, and are used after the parachute has opened to help the student navigate to a safe landing. Air to air sytems are in use by higher level coaches teaching advanced techniques, and are used both in freefall, and from canopy to canopy after opening.

[miraclecreator 0]

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With this in mind, a vision based device is not what skydivers need. Audible devices are the best fit, and they are already in existence. Ground to air radios are in ude for almost every skydiving student in the US, and are used after the parachute has opened to help the student navigate to a safe landing. Air to air sytems are in use by higher level coaches teaching advanced techniques, and are used both in freefall, and from canopy to canopy after opening.

Thanks! that's helpful. Since there are already devices for the sense of sight and hearing, what I want to add an additional sense like tactile (vibration)?

[davelepka 4]

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Since there are already devices for the sense of sight and hearing, what I want to add an additional sense like tactile (vibration)?

You want to make a vibrator for skydivers? OK, let the jokes begin....

[IanHarrop 37]

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what I want to add an additional sense like tactile (vibration)

okay this is proof positive... gotta be a joke

I think that vibration is too subtle and you should go for electrical shock

"Where troubles melt like lemon drops, away above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me" Dorothy

[miraclecreator 0]

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what I want to add an additional sense like tactile (vibration)

okay this is proof positive... gotta be a joke

I think that vibration is too subtle and you should go for electrical shock

Look, this is not a joke, and I'm actually going to develop a communication device. I blindly suggested tactile sense because I'm unsure how well it'll help the skydiver be more aware of the altitude and other possible troubles.

You don't have to voice you opinion if you don't want to but please dont think of this as a joke. I'm simply trying to better the way people communicate while skydiving.

As far as I know, hand signals are the only way to communicate right now. (audio/mic is quite rare I believe?)

[IanHarrop 37]

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You don't have to voice you opinion if you don't want to but please dont think of this as a joke.

And the great thing about this forum is that I do get to expreess my opinion if I want to.

Maybe you augment the electrical shock system with flares or smoke signals, different colours could mean different things

"Where troubles melt like lemon drops, away above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me" Dorothy

[Morne 0]

My suggestion , try and make a more affordable audible alitimeter.

They are very expensive.

[Andy_Copland 0]

Welcome to dropzone.com where instead of feedback you get mocked by skydivers who really think they are something special. Good luck.

1338

People aint made of nothin' but water and shit.

Until morale improves, the beatings will continue.

[IanHarrop 37]

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Welcome to dropzone.com where instead of feedback you get mocked by skydivers who really think they are something special. Good luck.

Good thing I am only mocking his idea not him

AND my mother always told me I was special!

"Where troubles melt like lemon drops, away above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me" Dorothy

[miraclecreator 0]

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My suggestion , try and make a more affordable audible alitimeter.

They are very expensive.

I see, thanks, I'll take that into consideration; what would you change with current altimeters though if you don't mind me asking.

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Welcome to dropzone.com where instead of feedback you get mocked by skydivers who really think they are something special. Good luck.

Yea guess I wasn't expecting that. Funny thing is, most fatalities are caused by EXPERTS being too overconfident, and I'm developing a communication device for the purpose of reducing these 'pilot errors' and potentially saving their lives. And here I am being mocked by these so called experts.

[Dean358 0]

Actually, it might be useful to communicate a students altitude to the radio operator on the ground, much the way an aircraft transponder does. This might be helpful while talking students though their landing patterns, especially if the ground receiver had multiple displays so several students could be monitored at the same time. While I can't imagine making this affordable enough to be practical, it does strike me as a cool academic engineering project worth a few credits at Georgia Tech. Good luck!

www.wci.nyc

[Andy9o8 0]

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what I want to add an additional sense like tactile (vibration)

okay this is proof positive... gotta be a joke

I think that vibration is too subtle and you should go for electrical shock

Look, this is not a joke, and I'm actually going to develop a communication device. I blindly suggested tactile sense because I'm unsure how well it'll help the skydiver be more aware of the altitude and other possible troubles.

You don't have to voice you opinion if you don't want to but please dont think of this as a joke. I'm simply trying to better the way people communicate while skydiving.

As far as I know, hand signals are the only way to communicate right now. (audio/mic is quite rare I believe?)

Ground to air voice, air to air voice, audible altimeters, visual altimeters - all have already been done. You want to improve on those, great - just keep in mind patent restrictions. DaveLepka already told you about the hazard of too much extra visual input. That being said, there are already heads-up displays that have been developed. Maybe you can develop a better one that doesn't compromise either safety or patents.

So what other senses are there? Tactile? As Dave noted, skydiving freefall is an extremely dynamic (and sometimes stressful) environment. You'd have to develop something that would "communicate" in a way that would be clearly understood, not be missed, and not give off false positives, AND be widely accepted by the skydiving consumer market. Tall order.

That only leaves taste, smell and ESP.

[miraclecreator 0]

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Ground to air voice, air to air voice, audible altimeters, visual altimeters - all have already been done. You want to improve on those, great - just keep in mind patent restrictions. DaveLepka already told you about the hazard of too much extra visual input. That being said, there are already heads-up displays that have been developed. Maybe you can develop a better one that doesn't compromise either safety or patents.

So what other senses are there? Tactile? As Dave noted, skydiving freefall is an extremely dynamic (and sometimes stressful) environment. You'd have to develop something that would "communicate" in a way that would be clearly understood, not be missed, and not give off false positives, AND be widely accepted by the skydiving consumer market. Tall order.

That only leaves taste, smell and ESP.

Thanks! Yea I've looked into it and I understand that tactile would probably be useless since it's so dynamic, and I dont think taste and smell would be plausible either. So maybe I can enhance/increase the sight and hearing; meaning an additional visual cue to alert the skydiver or louder/clearer audible alarm?