Development of a Human Monitoring System for the Preventative Safety of Divers

Abstract

In order to reduce the number of diving accidents among divers, it is necessary to develop a system that constantly monitors divers, detects abnormal situations, and prevents accidents from occurring in the first place, in addition to providing diving courses and warnings. In this study, we attempted to develop a system that can detect abnormal situations in real time by measuring electrocardiogram and electromyogram as one method of monitoring divers' physiological and psychological states. Bioelectrical signals such as electrocardiogram and electromyogram can be easily measured underwater by using special electrodes developed by the authors. A small pressure-resistant container was designed and fabricated to measure ECG and EMG during diving and to detect abnormal conditions. This paper describes a method for measuring electrocardiogram (ECG) and electromyogram (EMG) during diving, and a system that can detect abnormalities by calculating heart rate, heart rate variability index, and EMG in real time.