Drone manufacturer TEKEVER unveiled plans for a new water rescue system at the Defence and Security Equipment International conference in London, National Defense reported.
Dubbed the “Lifesaver onboard system,” one of its primary functions will be dropping a life raft to people in distress during water emergencies as a team is deployed for rescue.
TEKEVER CEO Ricardo Mendes stated that “beyond detecting people in distress, we can now immediately do something to help them.”
“We developed a system where we can deploy at least a raft so that they can get out of the water,” Chief Operating Officer Paul Webb added.
Testing for the new system was conducted off the coast of Portugal. The company is offering the technology to the European Union’s Maritime Safety Service as a potential client.
How it Works
The cameras on the Lifesaver drone will photograph the area of distress. From there, the AI algorithm will pinpoint specific areas of interest that require an immediate response.
An operator will then zoom in to the area of interest and see if there is a person in the water.
The AI works by calculating the drop-off area for the raft so it can be used by the person/s in distress. The algorithm can also calculate weather conditions and potential obstacles, deploying the necessary rescue equipment as quickly as possible.