Help With Design Project

[stevovee]

I'm working on a design project, working on designing a product to help prevent children from drowning and am trying to collect some information customer needs. I though an efficient method of gathering data would be an open "focus group" style right here on this forum. to get the discussion started i'm looking for mostly parents and pool owners, who are possibly he two groups most likely to be customers,

First off, is this enough of a concern for you that you would be willing to buy a device to potentially save your child from drowning? if so what characteristics would you like it to have?

Also would you ever consider having your child wear something around all the time to prevent them from drowning...if so how small would it need to be?

 

[hypn0tik]

Life jacket.

 

[djheater]

You need to design a self contained underwater breathing apparatus.

 

[KMc]

swimming lessons

 

[Mr Incognito]

SkyMall did it.

 

[stevovee]

you say lifejacket...but is this something you would make your kid wear around all of the time?, this product is supposed to be something that prevents accidental drownings...ie your kid isn't supposed to be swimming in the first place, not that he is in the pool and gets a cramp or something of that sort

 

[lyssword]

scuba diving gear

 

[stevovee]

scuba gear for a 2-3 year old

 

[hypn0tik]

Originally posted by: stevovee
you say lifejacket...but is this something you would make your kid wear around all of the time?, this product is supposed to be something that prevents accidental drownings...ie your kid isn't supposed to be swimming in the first place, not that he is in the pool and gets a cramp or something of that sort

But there are more effective methods to prevent children from accidentally drowning IMO. Cover the pool for example. Children wouldn't have to wear anything 24/7 and they wouldn't be able to take off the cover either so there's really no risk of falling in.

 

[stevovee]

Originally posted by: hypn0tik


But there are more effective methods to prevent children from accidentally drowning IMO. Cover the pool for example. Children wouldn't have to wear anything 24/7 and they wouldn't be able to take off the cover either so there's really no risk of falling in.

In the case that you weren't willing to put a cover on your pool, as it would be a nuisance preventing potential swimmers from entering the pool, what about a system designed to keep small children out but that would easily allow everyone else in?

 

[stevovee]

In addition...do you feel that your child would be within a distance that a simple water submersion sensor transmitting to an alarm would work as well...this is a method of prevention that could be worn by the child at all times while being minimally intrusive

 

[stevovee]

btw, i really appreciate the help of all who are posting

 

[hypn0tik]

A compact life vest/jacket/something or the other which is inflatable and pressure activated? If you jump in the shower with it on, no big deal. However, if you are 5 feet under water, the pressure sensor kicks in, inflates the thing and keeps the kid afloat.

I really don't know man, just shooting ideas in the dark.

Good luck!

 

[stevovee]

thats a decent idea but they kinda already have that, they make them for boating to where a splash or water or even very heavy rain won't activate them but submersion will...and they quickly inflate with a c02 cartridge....so i have to come up with something else

 

[Oceandevi]

Gills. Come on you nerds this is the best option.

 

[stevovee]

what would you think of a small fence system with a childproofing of sorts preventing small children access to pools yet still allowing older people easier access than a standard fence would allow coupled with a small water sensor or sorts?

 

[MaxDepth]

Turn the pool water into instant jello!


Seriously, why not prevent access to the pool to begin with? Kids can figure out latches like squirrels and monkeys can. So make it something does not require a key or passcode to open a gate on a fence?

 

[stevovee]

how would recommend the opening mechanism prevent kids form entering...would the mechanism use older peoples size or strength as a means of allowing them to enter?

 

[Chronoshock]

I can see false positives with this system being really annoying, but one idea would be to have two modes for the pool, open/closed. When the pool is closed, have sensors in the side of the pool activate and if triggered by a large object (child falling in), it drains the pool quickly. This way, the child doesn't have to have something on them at all times which you really can't guarantee with small children unless it's practically glued onto them.

 

[daniel1113]

Originally posted by: stevovee
I'm working on a design project, working on designing a product to help prevent children from drowning and am trying to collect some information customer needs. I though an efficient method of gathering data would be an open "focus group" style right here on this forum. to get the discussion started i'm looking for mostly parents and pool owners, who are possibly he two groups most likely to be customers,

First off, is this enough of a concern for you that you would be willing to buy a device to potentially save your child from drowning? if so what characteristics would you like it to have?

Also would you ever consider having your child wear something around all the time to prevent them from drowning...if so how small would it need to be?

I am actually a TA for a product development course here at my university. My suggestion for you is to walk away from your computer and go out into the market and talk to real customers and other players in the market. You will learn 100x more in 1/10th the time through a few face-to-face conversations than you will ever learn through the internet. The solution is always in the market.

 

[MaxDepth]

If it was something the kids have to wear, how about a shirt with sealed pockets and small compressed air cylinders sewn in?

Somehow the trigger would be designed to open the compressed air tubes when enough wetness would be attained. Like how wet you can be when you are in a pool for a few seconds.

Of course, the hillarious misuse would be to have the sensor malfunction and inflate the shirt when the kid wets his pants.

 

[50cent1228]

Originally posted by: KMc
swimming lessons

i agree with this answer

 

[Darwin333]

Yes, I would be more than willing to purchase a product that could prevent an accidental drowning. We got my daughter professional swimming lessons at a young age but there is still a "gap" and she has friends that come over...

My first idea would be to prevent kids from getting into the pool in the first place. A fence perhaps? Would have to be easy to install to remain cheap unless your aiming for the high end market and then it just needs to look good.

Next would be something to alert an adult that a child was near the pool or fell in. IR? Motion detector? Whatever it is it would have to good enough to not have a ton of false alarms or people simply won't use/pay attention to it.

 

[drinkmorejava]

Just an idea. A physical means of restraining the child seems expensive and not necessarily practical. The first idea that comes to mind is an infrared sensor that will set off an alarm if there is a body in the pool. Obviously, you could turn it off when you want to go swimming. I don't know anything about the reflective capabilities of water and Ir wavelengths, but I'd assume to avoid installation problems with the sun blinding it, as well as sensing somebody near the pool (vs in), it would have to be submerged.

 

[stevovee]

I agree that in the market is the best place...but something can be learned form here as well...I plan on pursuing both places