Nathan Stevens

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University of Nottingham > Engineering > Departments > Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering > PDM Exhibitions > 2024 > MEng students > Nathan Stevens

XAID: a fully watertight remote-controlled lifesaving device, designed to be operated by UK coastal lifesaving organizations, comprising of an RC vehicle, storage bag and a water-activated inflatable buoy.

Hi I’m Nathan. I’m a product design engineer, with a passion for design and creativity. Whether I’m sketching new ideas, modelling in CAD, building prototypes or completing my own projects, I’m always eager to bring new and fresh concepts to life.

From a teenager I've had a keen interest in design, primarily shown using woodworking, and sketching. These skills have been a vital part of my journey as a designer, helping me to not only produce new and exciting design inspirations but also truly appreciate the feeling and satisfaction gained from watching these designs come to life as a finished model. All of this ultimately led me to decide to look for a Product Design Engineering course at University.

When searching for such a course, PDM at the University of Nottingham stood out to me, providing a clear and strong product design background course, but also offering a more technical and well-rounded approach. Considering not just the aesthetics but the deeper knowledge of the true manufacturing and design intent, ensuring that products are both visually appealing but also practical and fit for purpose. Additionally, its’ large and state of the art prototyping facility offered me the ability to see the products that I designed come to life, providing that full satisfaction and confirmation that I wanted in my designs.

This course has enabled me to grow as a designer and learn new skills, which I hadn't had previously, improving my workflow, and helping make me the product designer that I am today.

Looking to the future, I am excited to continue along this same path that PDM has set me on, utilising all that I have learnt throughout my time at university, to become an accomplished design engineer going forward.

Nathan Stevens, MEng Product Design and Manufacture

XAID - The Drone Deployed Remote-Controlled Lifesaving Device

Lifesaving at sea is a critical role carried out by lifeguards worldwide, saving many lives each year. These rescues are highly time-critical and often dangerous, requiring innovations and solutions to help enhance efficiency and safety. This need inspired the creation of XAID, a fully watertight remote-controlled lifesaving device, designed to be operated by UK coastal lifesaving organizations, comprising of an RC vehicle, storage bag and a water-activated inflatable buoy.

Deployment is straightforward: XAID can be attached to a heavy lifting drone and flown within a safe proximity of a person in distress, before being released into the water or by being thrown from shore. Upon water impact, the water-activated buoy instantly inflates, using its’ inflation pressure to burst out of the storage bag, allowing it to trail behind the RC vehicle. Propelled by its two 24V Brushless DC motors, with up to 90N of thrust, XAID can swiftly reach the individual in distress. It uses both line-of-sight and a hull mounted camera, to ensure accurate delivery of the buoyancy aid to the person in need, allowing the lifeguards to have time to safely complete the rescue in the method of their choice.

XAID - a fully watertight remote-controlled lifesaving device

Once back on shore, the buoyancy aid can be deflated, re-armed and repacked, ensuring the device is ready for action again.

XAID utilises two rechargeable 24V Li-ion batteries, to provide a runtime of approximately 45 minutes when running at full power and additionally, has been designed to operate fully in either orientation, should it be flipped in the water.

For maximum visibility, XAID features a bright orange body and buoy, with large Solas reflective strips and two LED headlights on the RC vehicle, for poor visibility rescues.

This design innovation ensures swifter and safer assistance at sea, than existing methods offer, supporting the Lifeguards with their vital work.