The University of Washington's 'AquaApp' is potentially the first mobile app for acoustic-based communication and networking underwater that can be used with existing devices, such as smartphones and smartwatches, without the need for additional hardware.
In addition to their device, the only item a user of the app would need would be a waterproof phone case rated for the depth to which they are planning to dive, the researchers said.
The most likely use case for the application is for activities such as diving, where professionals of the sport currently use over 200 hand signals to communicate information ranging from oxygen level to the proximity of aquatic species, to the performance of cooperative tasks.
Using this language as an inspiration, the AquaApp interface enables users to select from a list of 240 pre-set messages that correspond to divers' hand signals. Users can also filter messages according to eight categories, including...