Wearable tag
Water probes detect immersion. GPS transmits the position and a vibration motor warns when the user leaves the 200 m safety range.
Glidra
Overview
An integrated ice rescue system combining wearable sensing, autonomous mobility and shore-based retrieval.
As warming temperatures destabilize ice, ice-related accidents increase. Glidra is designed to improve rescue speed while keeping victims, bystanders and trained responders away from further risk.
- Role
- Solo industrial designer
- Year
- 2025
- Scope
- System design
Mechanical design
CFD simulation
Prototype testing
- Project partners
- UK Rescue Organisation
Changbai Mountain Rescue Team - Supervision
- Prof. Dan Garner
Prof. Alec Machin - External examiner
- Dr. Stephen GreenTutor, Dyson School of Design Engineering
Head of Programme, Innovation Design Engineering
Concept film01:04
Brief
Reduce the time between immersion and buoyancy support.
A RESCUE SYSTEM THAT REACHES THE VICTIM FIRST.
The brief called for a shore-installed, automatically deployable device for high-risk lakes and docks. It needed to cross both ice and water, deliver flotation without asking the victim to climb, and remain connected to a controlled retrieval point on land.
Six directions explored
- Rollable rescue mat
- Inflatable watch
- Self-inflating board
- Lakeside bench
- Rescue drone
- Hovercraft
Why the integrated route survived
- Reach the victim without sending another person onto the ice.
- Move across both broken ice and open water.
- Provide buoyancy without asking an injured victim to climb.
- Keep the rescue physically connected to shore.
THREE PARTS.
ONE RESCUE SEQUENCE.
Hovercraft
A sealed HDPE craft moves across ice and water. A CO₂-inflated front board supports and lifts the victim from below.
Shore winch
A fixed pulley keeps the Dyneema retrieval line aligned while the shore station pulls the craft and victim back to land.
DESIGNED FOR CONDITIONS THAT CHANGE THE MOMENT ICE BREAKS.
Cold degrades systems.
Batteries lose capacity, plastics become brittle and seals can freeze. Materials and electronics must remain dependable in prolonged cold.
Victims are difficult to locate.
Snow, darkness and visual clutter slow response. High-contrast surfaces and lighting keep the rescue system legible at distance.
Every anchor point is different.
Lakesides vary from soil and rock to frozen ground. The retrieval station needs a secure base and controlled rope alignment.
Help can create a second victim.
Bystanders may step onto weak ice during a rescue. Glidra is designed to reach, support and retrieve from the shore.
Fluid dynamics
DESIGNED AROUND AIR, WATER AND UNSTABLE ICE.
Fluent simulations were used to study pressure distribution and airflow around the body. High pressure at the nose and lower skirt supports lift, while low pressure over the upper shell and behind the fans helps the craft remain stable and move forward.
- Target range
- 200 m
- Retrieval line
- Dyneema / 450 kg
- Body
- Waterproof HDPE
Development
THE BODY WAS TESTED AS CAREFULLY AS THE MACHINE.
Full-scale body experiments compared handle angles and victim postures. The final handle supports both straight and bent arms, remains usable with gloves, and keeps the torso aligned with the inflatable board during retrieval.
- Compared
- 3 handle angles
- Postures
- Straight + bent arms
- Constraint
- Winter gloves
BODY SUPPORT / HANDLE ERGONOMICS
HIGH-RISK ENVIRONMENT
FIVE DECISIONS HELD THE SYSTEM TOGETHER.
01 / Immersion tag
Clip, not wrist.
A clip keeps the water sensor exposed, works over winter clothing and avoids asking every user to wear a dedicated watch.
02 / Handle geometry
Support the body.
The final angle supports straight and bent arms, remains usable with gloves and keeps the torso aligned during retrieval.
03 / Propulsion control
Tune lift and steering together.
Fan output, rudder geometry and motor control were treated as one system to keep the craft stable across ice and water.
04 / Inflatable support
Lift from below.
A compact rolled chamber deploys at the front of the craft, increasing buoyancy without asking an exhausted victim to climb aboard.
05 / Recovery attachment
Spread the load.
A threaded insert and metal cover transfer retrieval forces away from the hook and into the wider plastic shell.
THE SYSTEM WAS TESTED ACROSS BODY, MATERIAL AND ENVIRONMENT.
Prototype testing
Full-scale assemblies checked flotation, reach and retrieval logic.
Evidence / full-scale body supportErgonomic study
Three handle angles were compared across straight and bent-arm postures.
Evidence / winter-glove constraintCFD simulation
Pressure and airflow studies informed the hovercraft body and fan balance.
Evidence / Fluent pressure + velocity fieldsMaterial evaluation
Waterproof HDPE and a 450 kg Dyneema retrieval line defined the material direction.
Evidence / water resistance + rated loadRescue sequenceDETECT.
DETECT.
REACH.
SUPPORT.
RETRIEVE.
- 01
A person falls through unstable ice.
- 02
The wearable tag detects immersion and sends the location.
- 03
The shore station automatically releases the hovercraft.
- 04
The victim holds the high-visibility red handles.
- 05
The front airbag inflates and lifts the body from below.
- 06
The winch returns the hovercraft and victim to shore.
Final system
VISIBLE, BUOYANT AND READY AT THE SHORE.
Bright yellow components and red flotation surfaces remain legible against snow, water and low light. The system combines automatic detection with a simple physical action: hold the handles while the shore station brings you back.
Reflection
THE SYSTEM LOGIC IS DEFINED. THE ENVIRONMENT IS NOT YET.
System sequence, body-support posture, handle ergonomics, CFD direction and material feasibility.
Real cold conditions, ice friction, water flow, battery loss and sensor delay.
Robotics Systems
Robotic Product Design / System Integration / Autonomous Perception
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