Rescue Stick Concept Throwable Stick With Water-Triggered Life Preserver Inside

If you have ever attempted one of those carnival games where you have to
toss the ring around the stick you know how difficult an operation that
can prove to be. Imagine now trying that same thing with a life
preserver from a hundred yards away with a screaming panicked person at
the other end. Got the picture. When I saw this design concept from
Sungjoon Kim, Jangwoon Kim, Sook-kyung Lee and Keunhwan Pack I was all
for it. The Rescue Stick is basically a hand-tossed rescue device inside
which resides a life preserver that is automatically deployed as soon as
it hits the water. Not a bad idea.

There are basically two reasons that this thing just might work: its
overall design and its ability to effectively deploy the life preserver
quickly as soon as it hits the water. The Rescue Stick measure in at
270×65x70-mm and weighs only 0.9-lb. As soon as it enters the water
a chemical reaction is initiated. The rate of inflation is fast,
reaching about 10L in 3-4 seconds. According to the designers, there are
other materials like sodium azide, which can achieve faster inflation
rates of 0.05 seconds, but at a much higher cost.
The Rescue Stick employs compressed CO2 gas in an aluminum can that
should prove to be a fairly cost-effective set of components. This would
be especially critical when it comes to the ability to mass-produce the
item. The materials used in the proposed design can all be recycled so
no waste is left in the water after use. Although, I'm not sure how many
shipwreck survivors are going to make sure they gather all of the
materials prior to being rescued. I'm just saying. The Rescue Stick is
but a concept, so there is no word on whether or not it will ever find
its way to market.