Volume 66 (2019): Edizione 1 (March 2019)

This article is a brief description of a new methodology¹ for utilising the N_x – SCR CRABE SCUBA rebreather ². This new approach differs from that described in a previous article [1,2]. The new methodology is based on a Polish theory³ mainly consisting of deterministic methods⁴ of modelling semi-closed circuit rebreathers. Further research⁵ can henceforth be carried out in a more reliable and efficient manner than ever before.

The search and detection of objects under water is carried out by groups of specialised divers. However, their time underwater and their ability to penetrate the depths are limited. For these reasons, the use of unmanned underwater vehicles equipped with technical observation equipment, including TV cameras, is becoming increasingly popular for these tasks. Video images from cameras installed on vehicles are used to identify and classify underwater objects. The process of recognition and identification of objects is tedious and difficult and requires the analysis of numerous sequences of images, and so it is desirable to automate this process. In response to these needs, this article presents the concept of identification of underwater objects based on visual images from an underwater body of water sent from an unmanned underwater vehicle to a base vessel. The methods of initial processing of the observed images from an underwater area as well as the method of searching for selected objects in these images and their identification with the use of the Hough transform will be described. Furthermore, the paper presents the results of the preliminary processing and identification of the observed images following a deconvolution operation.

This material is a continuation of the article published in the PHR no. 3(52)2015 concerning the methodology of selecting underwater exploration strategies for process development purposes. The article proposes to use one of the methods of decision optimization for the selection of the appropriate course of action in such cases.

The aim of the article is a review of psychological literature relating to the problem of anxiety in divers, where an emphasis is placed on the degree of mental adaptation of the individual to the underwater environment, primarily highlighting the trait of anxiety and the neuroticism of a person involved in a specific type of diving. The article presents selected reports from all over the world regarding research on anxiety in divers. Treating a high level of the indicator of anxiety as a predictor of panic anxiety reveals the importance of this trait in predicting the risk of an occurrence of diving accidents during the operation under water. In the own research presented in the article, the results on the levels of anxiety as a trait and a state in divers taking part in hyperbaric exposures indicate the fact that the majority of the examined divers have low levels of anxiety both as a trait and a state, which most probably indicates the good psychological condition of the examined divers.