10024794Amphibio: Development of a physical gill to enable humans to breathe underwater for longer (extension)ClosedCollaborative R&DInnovate UKThroughout history, humans have pushed the boundaries of possibility. Notably, last year, the dream of personal flight was achieved by French inventor Franky Zapata, who crossed the English Channel on a flyboard powered by a kerosene-filled backpack. Yet, when it comes to breathing underwater, most people can only survive for a few minutes without bulky and expensive life support equipment. Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus (SCUBA) provides breathing air/oxygen from high-pressure compressed air tank(s) and expels exhaled air (through a regulator) into the surrounding seawater (as noisy and visible bubbles). Compared to SCUBA systems, rebreathers offer longer dive times (at any depth) by recirculating the exhaled air, removing the carbon dioxide, and replenishing the air with breathing gas/oxygen from a tank. Rebreathers provide silent, bubble-free diving and are predominantly used in professional diving; for example, in scientific research and military applications. Carbon dioxide removal is a critical step for rebreathers and relies on a canister containing soda lime, known as a scrubber. The soda lime absorbs carbon dioxide from the exhaled air, but requires regular replacement, approximately every 2-3 hours of diving time. If water comes into contact with the soda lime, a highly corrosive liquid is formed, known as a "caustic cocktail". This can cause significant injuries to a diver's face and airways and even prove fatal. Gills have proved an inspiration to inventors hoping to overcome the limitations of existing underwater breathing equipment by extracting dissolved oxygen from seawater. But, the challenge for humans is to develop a gill that is able to extract sufficient oxygen from seawater to support breathing. Nevertheless, the gill concept has the potential to revolutionise existing underwater breathing apparatus. Inventor Jun Kamei, a designer and material scientist, has developed a concept for a gill that will enable humans to breathe underwater for longer, inspired by the physical gills used to support underwater respiration by air-breathing diving insects and spiders. His start-up, Amphibio, has received funding from the Royal College of Art and the Defence and Security Accelerator to complete the initial design work and laboratory study, validating the potential of his patent-pending wearable gill approach. With funding from Innovate UK, Amphibio will develop a gill that can extend dive times by replacing the carbon dioxide scrubber in rebreather diving systems, while supplementing the oxygen-tank supply with dissolved oxygen extracted from seawater. Amphibio's novel approach has the potential to revolutionise human life underwater.