The typical human doesn’t have to think of the best way to rescue other humans from drowning on any given day, but the Dutch fire service has to consider it quite often. The team at Spark Design & Innovation came up with a new device that could make water rescues far easier, and the design is pretty ingenious.

The Rescue Tip-Board is an inflatable raft that could seriously revolutionize water rescues. Typically, pulling someone from a body of water involves either throwing a line to them from the shore (which doesn’t work when they aren’t responsive) or paddling out to them in a raft or boat that just might capsize when you try to haul an entire person onto it. Not to mention the sheer strength it takes to pull someone onto a life raft from that very precarious angle.

This is what the Rescue Tip-Board solves. It’s not a typical inflatable raft; it’s actually designed to let the operator stand up on one end, tipping the raft forward. From this angle the rescuer can reach down, grab the victim in the water, and simply shift their body weight backward to create a lever effect that pulls the victim up and onto the raft.

The idea is that the rescuer and the raft will be towed out to the victim behind a small watercraft, then towed back to the shore so the rescuer can stay with the victim and perform life-saving tactics if necessary. When the inflatable fabric raft is deflated, it is small and lightweight enough to be worn as a backpack. A small can of compressed air inflates it in seconds and it can be in the water in almost no time.

The post Inflatable Life Raft Tips + Uses Leverage to Lift Victims first appeared on Gajitz.

We’ve all had those conversations where we just can’t seem to get a word in no matter how hard we try or how many hints we drop. In certain settings, like counseling or mediation settings, it is imperative that every person involved gets his or her fair amount of speaking time so that all of their thoughts can be heard. The Expanded Discourse project from Zoe Padgett and Gerardo Guerrero takes an interesting approach to communication equality.

The project uses inflating suits to indicate when one party wishes to talk. The inflation represents the building up of ideas and sentiments, and the need to communicate those words to the other person. A small triangular object fits into one shoulder of the suit and acts as a “talking stick,” or an indication that the person who holds the object has the floor for the time being.

When one person wants to speak, they activate the suit’s interior fan to inflate the plastic skin. Inserting the triangular piece into the shoulder of the suit allows the suit to slowly deflate as the person speaks. This provides another visual indicator – this time, suggesting that the speaker is “getting it all out” and experiencing a release as his or her emotions are communicated to the other person.

The designers suggest that the suits could also be helpful in a business setting. If you’ve ever been in a business meeting where things got a little heated and people couldn’t resist the temptation to talk over one another, the value of these odd-but-effective inflatable sumo suits should be obvious.

Maybe the suits are a little silly, but the silliness can help break down communication barriers by putting everyone on a level playing field. Even those who are too timid to speak up and jump into the conversation can have a turn to speak because the suit gives a visual cue that is hard to ignore.

The post Inflatable Suits Facilitate Turn-Taking in Conversations first appeared on Gajitz.