Underwater robot detects diver stress in real time by watching exhaled bubbles

Researchers developed HREyes, an underwater robot that estimates a scuba diver’s breathing rate in real time by analyzing exhaled bubbles.

The system is designed to flag abnormal breathing, including signs of stress or hyperventilation, without body-worn sensors.

It was tested in open water off Barbados in the Caribbean Sea and is presented as the first computer-vision method for measuring human breathing underwater.

The approach could improve diver safety in recreational, military, and research diving by detecting overexertion earlier.