Communicating under water – a revolutionary Israeli development

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Dolphins communicate under water using sound waves that travel great distances. Now, human beings can also communicate under water, using a small device, attached to their hand. This is a vital ability for divers, who have become a major player protecting maritime infrastructure during recent years.

Ever since the natural gas deposits were discovered in the Israeli coastline, Hezbollah constantly threatens to damage them. To prevent these attempts, the Israeli navy operates a complete line of defense.

When several divers are underwater in a certain mission, they have no way to communicate amongst themselves, nor do they have the ability to communicate with the vessel that carried them.

UTC decided to imitate the dolphin’s ability to communicate underwater by developing a small system that performs the same action as these magnificent animals.

According to Arie Kalo, the company CEO, the device transmits sound waves which are translated to preset messages. Any menu click sends a message to all the divers in the range, and so, the divers have a new ability to communicate among themselves.

One model of this system enables 14 divers to communicate with one another, and another model, grants this ability to 28 divers.

“The ultra-sonic waves transmitted by each hand-held device, not bigger than a large smartphone, is received by the devices of the other divers, and becomes a written text message, on a clear screen”, says Kalo.

Sound velocity through air is 340 meters per second, Kalo explains. Underwater, this velocity speeds up to 1503 meters per second. Messages can travel extremely fast.

A boat carrying a group of divers, places a float next to it, and this float serves as an exchange to communicate with all the divers. Its sunken part transmits the sound waves for the written messages.

The system has additional capabilities, Kalo says. If a diver is in distress, he presses the SOS button on his wrist, and any other diver can locate him quickly using the Doppler radar abilities.

“This system creates great interest around the world,” Kalo says. It is manufactured in the company plant, in Omer industrial park.