Sam's design, named Longreach, with the unofficial name "Buoyancy Bazooka", shoots an emergency flotation device 150 metres out to sea. Made from hydrophobic foam, the buoy can expand up to 40 times its size on contact with water so the swimmer can stay afloat without the risk the buoy will spring a leak. The device is also equipped with flares for night time. Sam developed the idea for the Longreach, after seeing hi-tech grenade propulsion technology during training with the Army Reserves.
The first Australian to win the award in five years, Sam is in talks with Surf Life Saving Australia about conducting field trials. He received A$16,000 in prize money, and a trip to the Dyson laboratories in the United Kingdom.
The 23-year-old, who graduated from the UNSW Faculty of Built Environment last year, said he was encouraged by the award organisers’ enthusiastic response to the Longreach. “They said it was an innovative and very practical design that had great potential to protect people and save lives,” he said. Sam is now seeking to further develop the Longreach and take it into production.
Zara Birch
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Website: www.fbe.unsw.edu.au
