NEW GEAR

In her second year on the DAME (Design Awards METS) jury Elaine Bunting is highly impressed by the scope of inventive thinking in marine equipment. From the simplest ideas to the complexities of sophisticated cameras and augmented reality software, many of these inventions push the boundaries. Here are this year’s award winners and the pick of the gear from the shortlist

DAME WINNER

U SAFE

Described as an ‘aquatic robot’, the U SAFE Buoy was this year’s overall design awards winner for its deceptive simplicity and many potential uses for rescue and saving lives at sea. This robust lifebuoy has two in-built jet drives, one in each arm, and is operated by a remote handheld control with a joystick. It is designed to be sent out to a casualty.

A video by U SAFE (on YouTube) shows how it works, being driven out to a man overboard and assisting in recovery. The buoy can travel at 10 knots