After almost losing loved ones to drowning and analysing the market - 372,000 people die from drowning every year - Rainer Fakesch, the founder of the German company, decided to develop a new type of life jacket. Ploota is a sensor-controlled rescue device.
Concretely, it is a kind of very light necklace - 280 grams - which is worn around the neck and is made to be forgotten for practicing all kinds of aquatic activities, in the pool, as in the sea: swimming, surfing, kitesurfing, canoeing, jet-skiing, fishing... When the sensors detect an imminent danger of drowning (prolonged immersion), two cushions inflated with CO2 are triggered on each side of the collar and bring the person to the surface, allowing him or her to float. In certain emergency situations, it is also possible to manually release the rescue collar by pressing the yellow button on the front of the collar.
A push button allows you to check the status of the collar's CO2 cartridge. This collar is easily reusable. Simply change the CO2 cartridges and fold the two cushions into their side compartments. Ploota is available in 3 sizes (S, M and L).
This lifejacket project should come to fruition soon. After the launch of a successful campaign on Kickstarter in the summer of 2017, the German company that developed it is in discussion with investors. Additional features will also be integrated into the life collar to create the ultimate safety system for swimmers. Functionalities that the German company does not want to reveal at the moment.
It is already possible to register on the dedicated website - Ploota - to pre-order your lifejacket and keep up to date with the release of this new type of vest.
