ReX System changes the way how firefighters interact with one another by deploying new technologies like bone conduction earpiece and throat microphone. ReX helps supervisors on the ground to monitor his/her fellow subordinates’ heartbeat rate & their surrounding temperature.
Being a volunteer firefighter fighting bush fire is tough.
Therefore increasing efficiency through technology could indirectly prevent heart attacks, heat stress or even death. With the help of all the technologies that have been freshly adopted by the consumers, I believe the technology employed in this product is viable and could well become a reality in the future.
Technology evolves to support the users.
ReX aims to not only improve communications between firefighters to eliminate muffled voice (when wearing a mask under a microphone) but also enable supervisors to monitor in depth on his fellow firefighters’ heartbeat rate and their surroundings temperature. It also allows the firefighter to hear what is the surrounding environment while listening through the bone conduction device.
Prevention is better than Cure.
ReX System firmly believes that prevention through design is essential to improving workspace safety and increasing survivability of the firefighters in the bushfire regions.
ReX family of products formulate into a System
ReX System aims to work in an ecosystem where the most crucial details are recorded and acted on. Therefore in order for the system to work effectively, both ReX Headset and ReX Control are meant to used by the firefighters to exchange ground information without the need to place it into their ears or place the microphone in front of their mouth.
ReX In-Depth
The technology and design of ReX has to be thought through and driven by the features. There are 2 main features:- To communicate effectively without using the conventional ways (ReX Headset) & To act independently without the need of an communication tower (ReX Control). This can be farther dissect into their features into core modules. ReX Headset can be expanded into the bone conduction section and also throat in-chip microphone.
ReX Headset: Bone Conduction
Within this sub-assembly of the ReX Headset, it predominantly features the (1) bone conduction and the (2) wireless transmission of the ReX Headset.
(1) Bone Conduction is worn on the firefighters' heads and loops over the ears. The bone conduction would then rest on/ near the ear bone. It would vibrate to transmit electronic wave into sound.
(2) The wireless transmission is located on the back of this component. Its main role is to receive/ transmit all the data in and out of the device.
ReX Headset: Throat Microphone
Within this sub-assembly of the ReX Headset, it predominantly features the (1) Throat Microphone, the (2) Heartbeat Reader, the (3) Temperature/ Humidity Scanner, (4) Battery and (5) Core Chip.
(1) Throat Microphone (in copper) is worn around the the neck of the firefighters. The Throat Microphone chip is alighted close to the throat area where it would then pick up vibration of the vocal chords and translate into electronic wave.
(2) The Heartbeat Reader (directly opposite of the throat microphone) reads the pumping of blood on the throat area. This technology is similar to the technology in current smartwatches.
(3) Temperature/ Humidity Sensor (in Blue Chip) records and stores surrounding temperature of the individual and then transmit to the supervisor.
(4) A NiMh 650mAH battery would be within the headset to supply power. The choice on Nickel Metal Hydroxide battery would be optimal for operation in high temperature surroundings.
(5) Core Chip would be used to translate incoming and outgoing data into the appropriate codes or output.
ReX Control
ReX Control is the heart of the product, where it acts as a mini base tower and displays live information from the other headsets. Acting as a base tower for the 5 headsets, the power usage is high and therefore there a need to cater to that need with 6 NiMh Batteries.
The screen would be made out of Clear Polycarbonate (PC- 4). Without reinventing the wheel, this material has been currently used in the google of the firefighters under high flame and high temperature environment.
The 5 button enable Push-To-Talk interruption to the whole team or to individual member. The red button is used in an event of a immediate danger that required fast response from the team while the black button is used in an event to inform one person in the team.
How ReX Works
In a team of 5 firefighters in the truck/ tanker, there would be 1 commanding officer/ supervisor and 4 remaining firefighters/ subordinates.
The supervisor would be overseeing the mission and monitoring the situation. Therefore the supervisor would be holding on to the ReX Control and communicating from the ReX Headset.
The Subordinates would be wearing the ReX Headset and update automatically voice, heartbeat and surrounding temperature to the supervisor's ReX Control.
User Interface
Having a simple icons presented on the ReX Control, It helps the supervisor to determine whether to ask his team member to come back to the truck and recuperate within the split second. A good and simple UI helps to keep data streamlined and could potentially save the lives.
