This week Huawei presented some of its most important products, “sheltered” by the GT 6 series A clock that, by weight, design and benefits, is closer to the universe of extreme horology (the greatest heights, the abyssal depths) that to the “simplicity” of measuring the heart rate, the distance traveled or the calories spent … that also does. In fact, we will analyze all its qualities in an upcoming article. But there is something that has to do with its connectivity (it can carry an ESIM) and its construction.
Its body, resistant to a depth of 150 meters, is zirconium -based liquid metal. This is not only counterintuitive, it also brushes the oximoron. The appellation of liquid metal comes from the company that created it (Liquidmetal Technologies) and has to do with the fact that the material (in this case a combination of zirconium, steel and some secret ingredient) crossed a kind of chemical crucis to achieve a resistance worthy of a Japanese sword. The liquid, in its ID, means that in the production of the device, it crossed a liquid phase, but it cooled at a speed such that its atoms have not had time to order. The result is a solid, harder material, lighter and resistant to scratches and blows than any traditional metal used in watchmaking. Hence the subtle oxymoron: the liquid the “super solid” properties.
And in construction there is an element that is the one that interests us: the speaker. Huawei Watch Ultimate 2 has the ability to send messages underwater. Once submerged, we can select the message from a series of pre -established options, we select and, if two Ultimate 2 are linked, the other receives the chosen text or emoji. It is not for a conversation, but it is an option to ask for help or indicate a very efficient underwater meeting point. How does it work?
The reality is that, under water, radiofrequency energy is almost useless, so Underwater communication should be transmitted by cable or sound. And this last example is the one used by the Huawei Watch Ultimate 2. And it works like this.
The sound, being a mechanical wave (a vibration that needs a means to spread), feels at home, underwater. In fact, Water is a much better means for sound than air and there, for example, travel faster: Water is much denser and its molecules transmit vibration more efficiently. To this we must add that it has much more reach: a powerful sound source can be detected thousands of kilometers away under water.
The process to send an audio message (such as the human voice) underwater implies several key steps. The first is transduction (from electrical to sound). A device called transducer (or hydrophone when it acts as a microphone) is the heart of the system. Take the electrical signal that represents the message (voice or data) and makes a piezoelectric or magnetic element vibrate. This vibration is transferred to water, creating high frequency sound waves (ultrasound, typically above 20 kHz). These vibrations arrive at the receiver (the other watch, in this case) that “translates them”: it turns them again into an electrical signal, decodes and identifies them with the selected message.
The interesting thing and here is when Watch Ultimate 2 can become a scientific and not only technological device, the thing is Submarine data links can also be combined with satellite data links to transfer data in real time from seabed to scientists on land.
An application of this technique is to provide early tsunamis alerts generated by submarine earthquakes. Tsunami waves are generated when an earthquake causes the movement of the seabed and pressure sensors deployed at the seabed can detect tsunamis.
The program of Evaluation and report of tsunamis in oceanic depths (Dart) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States (NOA) has installed background pressure sensors near regions with a tsunamis generation history to alert scientists and the population before a possible event. But each of these buoys costs a minimum of 250,000 euroswhile, for the same price, you could Have a network of more than 250 of these watches: more data, more surface and better connectivity and independence (If one fails, the entire system is not altered, since the Watch Ulltimate 2 can also be used as a means, not only as a receiver or emitter, to distribute the message, almost, to infinity).
There are two fundamental details. The first is salvageable by an update: program it to receive and forward messages when it detects that the pressure, temperature or water speed conditions vary suddenly. The second is the battery: The maximum could be reached for 11 days and then it would be necessary to recharge them. Luckily, science could help us: the same pieces that are responsible for sending the sound, through piezoelectric materials, can convert pressure into electricity and thus recharge the battery. And, underwater, there is a lot.