Drowning children can be prevented with a special application

A sensor based on breathable waterproof fabric that sends a “warning message” to a smartphone app if the user is drowning could save children who drown every year.

The life-saving innovation is able to detect small signals such as joint movement and pulse, and send a notification if no movement is detected.

Underwater motion sensors are nothing new, but the one featured in the ACS Nano magazine is breathable, allowing it to be added to a smart device that wirelessly alerts a companion app.

The device can be implemented as a wearable device, such as an Apple Watch, or a dedicated device designed specifically for swimming. Similar sensors on the market require a thick shield that can lead to skin irritation, but the new technology has been developed using silicon-like layers that eliminate the need for a bulky case.

Researchers from China and South Korea dipped a piece of polyester knitwear into a solution of graphene oxide and then into hydroiodic acid.

When a sample of coated fabric was attached to a person’s finger, which was then bent under water, it elicited a measurable electrical response.

The team combined a tissue sensor with a power source and data collector to create an intelligent underwater motion system that could wirelessly transmit an electrical response to a smartphone app. To test the Senor app, the team attached it to a motorized floating doll. When the doll moved its leg, the sensor could track the movements, the moment the doll stopped moving, the application received a warning message.

Because the smart motion sensor repels water, the researchers say it could help monitor swimmer safety and be used in other types of underwater sensors.

About 3,700 people die each year from unintentional drowning, and almost 900 of them are children, from infants to 19 years old.

Drowning is the leading cause of death in children under four years of age following birth defects.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends swimming from the age of four. The board previously opposed swimming under this age, but now says it has “no objection” to swimming programs for children as young as one year old.

Christina DENISYUK.

Photo: Getty Images / Stockphoto