Triton Oxygen Rebreather: Will It Work?
For SCUBA divers, this could be a dream come true (if it ever actually comes true).
Straight out of a science fiction film, or perhaps a James Bond film, a South Korean designer claims to have invented an oxygen mask which can draw air from water as you swim, eliminating the need for air tanks and bulky SCUBA equipment.
The Triton acts like a fish gill to extract oxygen from water so that the user can keep breathing while under the sea. Designer Jeabyun Yeon, who came up with the concept, believes it will change the way people approach water. This concept relies on some future technologies that have not yet been invented, such as a micro-battery and a few other things.
The regulator comprises a plastic mouthpiece that requires you to simply bite down. There are two arms that branch out to the sides of the scuba mask that have been developed to function like the efficient gills of a marine creature. The scaly texture conceals small holes in the material where water is sucked into Jeabyun Yeon's Triton. Chambers inside separate the oxygen and release the liquid so that you can breath comfortably in the ocean.
The design has its nay-sayers though. Dr. Alistair Dove, Director of Research and Conservation at Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, wrote a piece for Deepseanews.com where he breaks down the physics of breathing.
The Triton is a very cool concept that has been on the minds of divers for generations. Considering I have extremely limited knowledge of SCUBA diving, I have no experience in which to form an opinion. However, all scientific discoveries and inventions were once thought to be impossible.
Will it work? Leave us a comment to tell us what you think.
