Technology designed to find missing people continues to develop with the introduction of a balloon created to help rescuers spot people lost in the woods.
The Rescue Me Balloon fits in a capsule the size of a pocket, and aims to replace flare guns, which depend on timing for deployment since they only burn for a few minutes, according to Digital Trends. With help from flashing LED lights, the balloon provides extra visibility at night, and can stay in the air for up to seven days.
The system works by opening up the capsule and twisting the orange balloon's base onto the helium canister, which will release gas into the balloon to send it floating up.
The LEDs flash an SOS signal that can be seen up to two miles away, and the balloon will rise up to 150 feet in the air after being deployed, Discovery News reported. The canister comes with a clip that lets you attach the balloon to your belt or backpack, and the balloon's creators also designed it to be detectable on radar.
The Rescue Me team has started a crowdfunding campaign for their balloon with the goal of raising $100,000. The $40 balloon is available for pre-order for early backers, who will have to wait until March 2015 to receive their new rescue tool.
"It's a story we're all familiar with- a lone biker trapped in a rockslide, a recreational fisherman lost at sea," said Tristan Hendy, COO of Rescue Me Balloon. "Many of these stories end in tragedy- Rescue Me Balloon wants to eliminate every possibility of not being found."
In addition to being used for people lost at sea or in the woods, as well as those surviving a zombie apocalypse, the team believes Rescue Me Balloon can be used in less serious roles, such as a home base beacon for when you want to go camping.
