Running head: ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY

Assistive Technology Device: My Dive Buddy

Peter Wallace
Touro University Nevada

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Assistive Technology Device: My Dive Buddy
The My Dive Buddy device was inspired by Jessica Cox. Jessica is a 32-year-old who has
no arms due to congenital upper limb deformity. Despite being born with no arms, she has
learned to do what most everyone else can do, but she uses her feet instead of hands to perform
her daily occupations. Jessica doesnt view herself as different or disabled, and she enjoys her
autonomy in various occupations. Jessica hasnt allowed the fact that she has no arms slow her
down; in fact, she has succeeded to do things that most people dont even try. Jessica has a pilots
license and a black belt in taekwondo (a form of martial arts). She drives an automobile like most
of us, but she also flies a plane, sky dives, and scuba dives. Jessica is a motivational speaker that
talks to people with and without disabilities all over the world. In addition, Jessica has won
several awards and holds the Guinness World Record for only licensed pilot with no arms.
Jessica enjoys leisure occupations of flying, taekwondo, music, surfing, dancing and scuba
diving.
Jessica learned how to scuba dive through Dive Heart, an organization that helps
individuals with disabilities through scuba therapy. Jessica holds a scuba certification through
Dive Heart; however, instead of one dive buddy, she needs two dive buddies because she cant
adjust her buoyancy compensating device (BCD). Since Jessica enjoys her independence, a BCD
that she could adjust would help her be more independent in her leisure activity of scuba diving.
Population
Although My Dive Buddy was inspired by Jessica Cox, the prototype was actually created to
benefit any individual with congenital upper limb deformity, bilateral upper extremity
amputation, or extremely limited hand function who wants to maintain autonomy in the
occupation of scuba diving. In 2005, it was estimated that 1.6 million individuals in the United

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States were living with the loss of a limb. Out of the 1.6 million, it was estimated that 541,000
were upper limb amputations (Ziegler-Graham, MacKenzie, Ephraim, Travison, and
Brookmeyer, 2008). While the number of individuals with bilateral upper limb (UL) amputations
can be expected to be far fewer than 541,000 people, this estimate does not include congenital
deformities and other disabilities causing deficits in bilateral us of arms and hands. The
prevalence of UL amputations may appear to be minor, but the number is expected to double by
the year 2020 (Ziegler-Graham et al., 2008). In addition to UL amputees and those with UL
congenital deformities, the proposed device can be utilized by a gamut of other disability groups,
such as spinal cord injury (SCI), traumatic brain injuries (TBI), and various developmental
disabilities.
Problem
Individuals who have congenital UL deformities or bilateral UL amputations have a
unique set of needs. With these individuals, many intrinsic and extrinsic factors can create
barriers that inhibit their occupational performance, well-being, and quality of life. A clients
absent body structures and body functions are intrinsic factors that fundamentally inhibit
performance in many occupations, including scuba diving.
The problem is, current scuba diving equipment manufacturers do not produce a BCD
that accommodates the needs of individuals with UL amputations and UL congenital deformities.
These individuals do not have the ability to engage inflate and deflate features of a typical BCD.
When scuba diving, one wants to be less buoyant to descend and more buoyant to ascend.
Establishing negative buoyancy allows for the adventure of diving, but positive buoyancy is
needed to return to the waters surface safely. The BCD is a buoyancy compensating vest that is
worn by the diver. During a typical dive, the BCD will be constantly adjusted to maintain a

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desired water depth and return to the waters surface. The BCD has an air bladder inside that can
be inflated via the low pressure hose attached to the 1st stage regulator. The regulator is attached
to the high pressure air tank (3,200 psi). When the power inflate button is pushed on the BCD,
the air bladder fills with air and buoyancy is increased. A second button releases air from the
bladder and buoyancy is then decreased. However, inflate and deflate buttons have high tension
springs to avoid accidental activation from increased water pressure and unwanted bumps to the
device. The buttons require many pounds of force to activate, and buttons are typically located
near the divers upper left shoulder. Because of the buttons tension and location, an individual
without arms cant push the buttons to activate inflation and deflation of the device.
Individuals who dont have arms need an additional dive buddy (two buddies instead of
one). Essentially, one buddy is there for safety and the other inflates or deflates the disabled
individuals BCD. Recreational scuba diving is always performed with a dive buddy. The dive
buddy offers support in case an emergency situation arises. Sometimes its challenging to stay
with your buddy, but both divers should be aware of each other at all times for safety reasons. An
extra dive buddy adds an additional person that you have to worry about, and it becomes
awkward to even move through the water. Basically, one would have a person attached to both
sides of them. This dramatically reduces ones autonomy. Jessica, like many others with
disabilities, enjoys her independence. So, an AT device that allows Jessica to adjust her buoyancy
is of utmost importance to her performance and satisfaction in the leisure occupation of scuba
diving.
Description of Device
My Dive Buddy is an adaptive technology (AT) that modifies the environment by
allowing an individual with no arms to adjust their scuba BCD to achieve desired buoyancy. The

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device is unique because it allows for control of buoyancy using virtually any type of electrical
switch or flex sensor, as long as its waterproof. The device utilizes a microcontroller board to
activate two solenoids, one to inflate and one to deflate the BCD. Use of electronics allows
greater flexibility in activation of the BCDs function. The My Dive Buddy prototype uses two
4.5 flex sensors. A flex sensor changes electrical resistance as it is bent. When the sensors
resistance changes, the microcontroller senses slight changes in electrical voltage. The
microcontroller was programmed to send an output voltage to activate the solenoids when it
senses a certain voltage change. This is done by programming the microcontroller to trigger an
output when a certain threshold is achieved. This adds even more flexibility to the device
because the threshold can be customized as well. The prototype was set to trigger an output when
the knee was flexed past 95o of flexion. Basically, the AT device inflates the BCD when the right
knee is flexed beyond 95o, and it deflates the BCD when the left knee is flexed beyond 95o. The
solenoids were attached to the BCDs inflate and deflate hose attachment ports with minimal
modifications needed. The solenoids and the BCD inflator controls were enclosed in a case cast
from poly resin. The main electronics were housed in a waterproof cylinder. The finished device
allows an individual to inflate their BCD with knee flexion that is not commonly needed when
scuba diving. One does not need to flex their knee beyond 95o when scuba diving. The threshold
can be set to a higher degree as well, like say 110o of flexion. Knee flexion beyond 90o is not
necessary in propulsion of self through the water wither. This allows someone without arms, to
control his or her buoyancy with movements of the leg. This could be just as easily applied to a
hip if the user didnt have lower extremities distal to the knee. In addition, micro switches could
be located near the head or even within a full face mask if the individual had no upper or lower

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extremities. See appendix B for images and description of fabrication. See appendix A for cost
analysis.
Similar Devices
Currently, no commercially available BCD accommodates individuals with bilateral UL
amputations or congenital deformities. Aqualung makes a BCD that uses a small lever arm
located on the waist belt area of the BCD to inflate and deflate the BCDs air bladder. The
technology is called i3, and any Aqualung BCD with i3 technology has this added feature. The
feature can accommodate someone with limited hand function; however, cant be operated by
someone without arms. The first thought in building an AT device for individuals with no arms
was a low tech modification to an Aqualung i3 BCD. This would include extending the lever arm
an attaching it to the individuals left thigh via a removable strap. The problem with this
modification is that the mechanical arm is at higher risk of undesired accidental activation, and it
restricts hip movements. The hip is in constant flexion and extension as the diver kicks through
the water. See appendix C for an image of the Aqualung i3 BCD. An extensive internet search,
including an intellectual property search at the US Patent and Trademark Office website, was
conducted to find any similar devices; however, no devices other than the Aqualung i3 were
found. As mentioned above the i3 technology could be useful for individuals with minor hand
function deficits. Interestingly, the i3 technology is not even marketed as being beneficial to
people with limited hand function though.
Literature Review
Organizations, such as Dive Heart, Wounded Worrier Project, and Handicapped Scuba
Association, are beginning to treat disabled individuals with scuba therapy. Scuba therapy is a
fairly new form of physical and psychosocial therapy that utilizes the unique characteristic of

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scuba diving. Scuba therapy can build confidence, independence, self-esteem, and self-efficacy
by providing challenges and adventures most people havent encountered before. The skills,
confidence, and experience gained from scuba diving can be transferred to other areas of ones
life. Scuba therapy supports individuals with disabilities because it provides exercise for those
who have trouble moving against the forces of gravity. When neutrally buoyant, one is virtually
weightless. This provides a more supportive environment for those who might otherwise have
trouble moving on land. Current research is beginning to support the therapeutic use of scuba
diving for various physical disabilities, including amputations and SCI. A scuba therapy pilot
study was conducted by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the International
Center for Spinal Cord Injury at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. The study utilized 10 paralyzed
veterans that were selected for a six week study completed in the Cayman Islands. The finding
were very provocative. The subjects had a 15 percent drop in muscle spasticity, a 10 percent
increase in light touch sensitivity, and a 5 percent jump in sensitivity to pinprick. In addition, the
subjects with PTSD experienced 80%relief in symptoms. Of course this was a pilot study with
small sample size, but the study is a start to an area in need of future research.
The Bragaru, Dekker, Geertzen, and Dijkstra (2011) article was a systematic review of
literature that examined the negative impacts on psychological and physical well-being, mobility
and the social life of individuals with limb amputations, and the use of sports prosthetic devices
to improve quality of life for those individuals. The article suggests that individuals with limb
amputations benefit physically and psychologically from participation in sports and/or regular
physical activity, and that prosthetic devices increase participation in sports. The authors suggest
that sports should be included in rehabilitation programs for individuals with limb amputations.

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The Kovacs and Walter (2015) article suggests that scuba diving, as recreational activity,
provides a wide range of physical and psychological benefits. Diving requires strength,
flexibility, and cardiovascular fitness. The authors suggest that regular divers are aware of the
positive health benefits of a consistent structured exercise program because lower levels of body
fat allows for more efficient diving, due to lesser need for weight to decrease buoyancy. Scuba
diving also has psychological benefits. Dive training requires individuals to become selfsufficient, and participating in training dives increases ones self-confidence. Its also suggested
that individuals who participate in scuba diving as a leisure occupation report increased levels of
happiness and overall well-being (Kovacs & Walter, 2015). Scuba diving has a particular amount
of social interaction because recreational certification requires a dive buddy, which allows for
more social engagement. Typical scuba certification provides the opportunity for advancement
and financial gain as well. One can become a dive master and plan and lead dive adventures for a
financial profit. or trainer and earn money teaching and taking other on and career opportunity In
addition, scuba diving leads to a life of travel, exercise, and overall physical wellness.
Carin-Levy and Jones (2007) conducted a study that investigated the psychosocial
aspects of scuba diving for people with physical disabilities. They interviewed individuals with
disabilities that participated in a specialized scuba training program. Analyzes of recurring
themes indicated that individuals with disabilities thought diving was a challenging and
enjoyable activity that enhances quality of life through enriched social experiences and improved
self-concept. Other recurring themes suggest that the scuba environment allowed them to feel
weightless, thus free from their impairments and equal to non-disabled divers Carin-Levy &
Jones, 2007). The founder of Dive Heart, Jim Elliott, explains the benefits of scuba best; he says,
Through scuba diving and scuba therapy, we can take Jonny, the kid in the wheel chair, and

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suddenly make him Jonny the scuba diver. Dive heart is a nonprofit organization that provides
scuba training to individuals with disabilities, the organization that trained Jessica Cox how to
scuba dive. According to Dive Hearts website, scuba diving can empower individuals with
disabilities to overcome challenges and life obstacles, which can promote increases in selfconfidence, independence, and social participation (Diveheart, 2014).
Conclusion
Scuba diving is an occupation that offers many physical and psychosocial benefits for
individuals with bilateral upper limb amputations, congenital limb deformities, and other limb
abnormalities. Several nonprofit organizations specialize in training individuals with disabilities
to encourage self-confidence, self-efficacy, social participation, and increased physical activity.
However, current scuba diving equipment doesnt promote autonomy. Currently, no scuba BCD
accommodates individuals who do not have arms. My Dive Buddy is an adaptive technology that
modifies a typical and commercially produced scuba BCD, so individuals with no arms can
control their desired buoyancy and achieve independence in the leisure occupation of scuba
diving.

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References
Bragaru, M., Dekker, R., Geertzen, J. B., & Dijkstra, P. U. (2011). Amputees and sports: A
systematic review. Sports Medicine, 41(9), 721-740. doi:10.2165/11590420-00000000000000
Carin-Levy, G., & Jones, D. (2007). Psychosocial aspects of scuba diving for people with
physical disabilities: an occupational science perspective. Canadian Journal of
Occupational Therapy, 74(1), 6-14.
Diveheart. (2014). About diveheart: Imagining possibilities. Retrieved from
http://diveheart.org/about-us/about-diveheart/
John Hopkins Medicine. (2015). Scuba diving improves function of body, mind in vets with
spinal cord injury. Retrieved from http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/
Kovacs, C. R., & Walter, D. (2015). Scuba Diving and Kinesiology: Development of an
Academic Program. JOPERD: The Journal of Physical Education, Recreation &
Dance, 86(3), 12-17.
Ziegler-Graham, K., MacKenzie, E. J., Ephraim, P. L., Travison, T. G., & Brookmeyer, R.
(2008). Estimating the prevalence of limb loss in the United States: 2005 to
2050. Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation, 89(3), 422-429.

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Appendix A
Cost Analysis Table

Item

Store

Price

Quantit
y

Total Price

Flex Sensor

Amazon

9.95

19.90

Arduino Nano microcontroller

Amazon

10.99

10.99

Solenoid 1

Amazon

9.10

9.10

Solenoid 2

Amazon

8.99

8.99

Battery 9V

Walmart

1.63

1.63

Poly Resin

Hobby Lobby

7.28

7.28

Bolts & Nuts (4 pack)

Walmart

1.08

1.08

Wire & Solder (used approx. $1) Previously Owned 1.00

1.00

Grand Total $59.97

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Appendix B
Construction Parts

Image

Details
Testing of flex sensor and computer
code using Arduino Uno 3 board and
Arduino sketch software. First test
included a servo intended to activate
an AquaLung BCD with i3 technology.
However, prototype was built for a
typical BCD inflator with use of
solenoids instead of a servo.
Flex Sensor was sealed in plastic and
shrink tubing to waterproof sensor. The
flex sensor changes resistance when
bent. Arduino code was set to read
sensor and trigger output when sensor
reaches a certain threshold.
Inflate BCD Attached to low pressure
port of 1st stage scuba regulator &
BCD inflate hose. A second solenoid (of
lesser quality) was attached to deflate
valve on BCD.
Arduino Nano is a much smaller
microprocessor board easily fit into
sealed case.

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Appendix C
Images of BCD Inflator and Device

Image

Details
Typical style of BCD inflator. Oceanic
Excursion 2 BCD inflator was modified
(the one in image). Bottom button (grey)
is deflator and top button (also grey) is
inflator. Solenoids were attached to
hose connections between button and
BCD.
Solenoids were enclosed in case cast
from poly resin. A front and back piece
was formed and put together with 4
bolts and nuts.
My Dive Buddy device at Touro
University Nevada AT fair. Device was
demonstrated at AT fair. Sensors
activated inflate/deflate of BCD when
knee flexion was 95. Right leg
inflates & left leg deflates BCD.

Appendix C

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Device Comparison

My Dive Buddy

My Dive Buddy is a
modification designed
to work with typical
BCD inflator. It allows
someone with no arms
to inflate & deflate a
typical BCD using their
legs.

Aqua Lung BCD with i3 technology

The i3 technology
allows those with
limited hand
function to more
easily adjust
BCD; however,
one would still
need arms. Lever
arm could be
modified for low