LED Air Warning System (LAWS) for First Responders and Public Safety Divers: A New Product Development-based Senior Capstone Design Project

First Responder/Public Safety Divers (FR/PSDs) conduct rescue and evidence recovery operations in dark, turbid waters, where visibility is often non-existent, making it impossible to read their pressure gauges to determine if they are low on air. The Florida State University-Panama City (FSUPC) Senior Electrical Engineering Class (EEL 4915C Senior Design II), working in collaboration with the Naval Surface Warfare Center-Panama City Division (NSWC PCD) under an Education Partnership Agreement (EPA), engaged in a senior design project that developed a concept prototype to reduce risk and help save lives for the FR/PSD community. The LED Air Warning System (LAWS) incorporates a pressure transducer connected to the diver's air tank and a multi-LED array attached to the diver's mask. The system provides detailed visual information about remaining air pressure during a dive clearly visible even in extremely poor visibility conditions. To continue development of the LAWS into a commercial product for the FR/PSD community NSWC PCD collaborated with industry partner Interspiro, Inc. (diving equipment manufacturer) through a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) to complete product development, user evaluation, and technology transition of the LAWS into production.