A boy is struggling in the sea. When the waves roll in the water, they wash over his head again and again.
But suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, a bright yellow life jacket drops next to him. He held onto him until lifeguards arrived and pulled him to safety.
A picture of this eventThe incident, which happened earlier this month on the Sagunto beach in Valencia, Spain, has been doing the rounds online. And that yellow life jacket? A rescue drone was deployed from shore to help the boy buy some time before first responders arrived on the scene.
This is the fifth rescue this season by Sagunto’s surveillance and rapid response drones, local superintendent Dario Moreno told El Pais.
It is an amazing example of how technology can be deployed to protect swimmers and members of the public in particular.
When you’re lounging on the beach or lounging by the pool, getting in trouble may be the last thing on your mind. But drowning is the leading cause of sudden death. It has caused the death of thousands of people Only in Europe every year.
And a whole host of technology, from rescue planes to artificial intelligence (AI) systems that can detect when someone is drowning, aims to make pools and beaches safer.
Drones to the rescue
The drone that helped save the boy in Sagunto was Spanish startup General Drones.
CEO Adrian Plaza He spoke to the nation. He and his co-founder Enrique Fernandez are both former lifeguards who were inspired to create General Drones after seeing a woman drown in front of them.
Their main goal was to build a drone that could withstand exposure to humidity, salinity, high temperatures, rain, strong winds, and sand.
The resulting Auxdron life-saving drone is designed for “the worst conditions at sea”. In addition to quickly deploying life jackets to swimmers in distress, it can monitor, identify hazards and search for victims.
A shark-spot system that uses AI and drones
Of course, drowning isn’t the only danger swimmers face, especially if they’re swimming downstream.
Shark Spotter It combines AI and drone technology to detect sharks near drowning swimmers and alert lifeguards.
It also provides warnings to those in the water using the on-board megaphone attached to the boat when a shark or other potential danger is detected.
The system uses deep learning algorithms and image processing techniques to analyze real-time images from the drones.
It detects and categorizes objects, identifying with sharks and marine life such as dolphins, rays, and whales. It can also detect passengers, swimmers, boats, people and other objects.
The project is a collaboration between the University of Technology Sydney and Reaper Corporation.
‘AI lifeguards’ to help prevent drowning
With the advent of live streaming and artificial intelligence, swimmers no longer need to rely solely on traditional lifeguards to monitor them.
SightBit is an Israeli company that offers its AI program as “AI Lifeguard” that can improve standard cameras with software based on deep learning and computer vision technology.
The company’s AI-powered system scans footage collected from surveillance cameras, detects potentially life-threatening incidents and then sounds the alarm.
According to the company, it can detect people, objects, sea conditions, ships and animals.
Netanel Eliav, CEO of SightBit he told AFP. He developed the technology by identifying a flaw in how closed-circuit castings are implemented to increase safety underwater.
The program has been underway in the Israeli city of Ashdod on the Mediterranean coast for over a year, AFP reported. He chose to deploy the SightBit technology in a location far from the nearest lifeguard.
An airbag that can be worn on the wrist
And finally, if you are worried about the dangers that may occur when you are alone at sea or in the pool – why not bring your own breathing apparatus with you?
It is namedThe smallest inflatable instrument in the world‘, Kingii is a bracelet type gadget that you wear on your wrist.
If you have trouble while underwater, pull the lever on your device. This activates the CO2 cartridge inside and deploys a small inflatable balloon in less than two seconds, lifting you up.
Everything weighs 168 grams and a person can float up to 130 kilograms.
Kingii claims to be reusable over 50 times. Users must reseal the balloon and replace the CO2 cartridge.
