The system is similar to an airbag for cars, and is deployed when a boat begins to sink or capsizes in order to keep it afloat. The firm Kafloat is behind this new life preserver.

The Spanish company Kafloat has patented a new safety system for vessels in 23 countries. In case of any excessive heeling or unexpected water entry, flotation devices are inflated in order to prevent a boat from sinking until help can arrive. The ultimate goal of this airbag is to help save lives at sea, given that the invention can be used by most fishing and recreational vessels.

The system is composed of uninflated balloon flotation devices that are kept inside cylinders. They are deployed if a vessel begins to sink or capsizes, in order to keep it afloat. The ship captain can activate the system manually or, if this does not take place, sensors will automatically deploy the floats if a boat sinks beyond a critical level.

Each balloon or inflatable floatation device displaces one and a half tons of water. One of the most difficult engineering challenges to overcome was finding suitable fabrics for their manufacture. The Spanish textile company Paraflay came up with a customized, fire retardant fabric that is very durable in both high and low temperatures.

The balloons remain inflated for at least 24 hours. This gives emergency maritime rescue teams enough time to rescue the vessel’s crew or, depending on a boat’s distance from shore, the chance to tow the vessel back to port for repair.