Following its listing on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) on 21 September, Mobilarm Limited has today announced a leap forward in the development of its proprietary marine safety technology, resulting in the opening of the lucrative commercial, sports and professional dive markets around the world with a modified version of its innovative VHF emergency locator beacon.
The leading global marine safety technology specialist will release a small lightweight version of its defence submarine escape and abandonment emergency locator beacon, which was designed under contract with the US Navy.
“There are over 20 million certified divers worldwide being serviced by over 10,000 dive operators, dive shops and resorts,” comments Lindsay Lyon, Mobilarm CEO. “This represents a significant and previously untapped market for Mobilarm’s new dive emergency locator beacon.”
According to the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), Scuba divers can be hard to spot in the water, even at relatively short distances from a boat or shore if conditions are rough. Signaling devices are important safety equipment that help scuba divers be seen and heard if they need assistance.
“The successful 2003 low budget movie Open Water is based on the true story of two scuba divers accidentally stranded by a commercial dive operator. The divers vanished, believed drowned, off the Great Barrier Reef [Queensland, Australia] in January 1998,” continues Lyon. “Regretfully, similar events have occurred around the world a lot more often than people know; the global opportunity for a purpose built diver emergency locator beacon is significant.”
Mobilarm was awarded a sole source contract to the United States Navy earlier this year for delivery of a new submarine escape and abandonment emergency beacon. The first test articles of this specially developed version of the company’s Mobilarm V100 VHF locator beacon were delivered in May and have successfully completed depth testing to 450 metres.
The new dive locator beacon is up to 50 percent smaller and lighter in comparison to the existing submariner beacon, the Mobilarm V200, and is the first technology of its kind to provide emergency signalling by VHF radio communication for stricken divers. Mobilarm expects to ship this cutting-edge new product into the global professional and recreational dive market in Q4 FY11.
The Mobilarm V100 VHF locator beacon, from which the new submariner and dive versions are derived, is a versatile Maritime Survivor Locating Device. The pocket-sized unit is attached to clothing or integrated into lifejackets and will automatically activate when the wearer has gone overboard, sending out a Mayday message and real time GPS coordinates of the casualty’s current position via VHF Voice and DSC. In independent trials, Mobilarm’s VHF beacons have outperformed existing technology with their ability to help rescue teams locate and track people in the water and plan their rescue more effectively.
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Further details:
Lindsay Lyon
Chief Executive Officer
Email lindsayl@mobilarm.com
Tel. +61 (0)409 531 738
www.mobilarm.com
Lorraine Hammacott
Communications Manager
Email lorraineh@mobilarm.com
Tel. +61 (0)8 9315 3511
www.mobilarm.com
