Australia is using drones to keep beachgoers safe. The drones are able to deliver lifesaving flotation devices in just minutes and spot sharks from above.
Australian lifeguards now have technologically advanced sidekicks. The country makes use of drones to detect threats such as sharks in the water but they are also equipped to save lives. There are a few beaches where the drones are being tested and today it proves that this step forward in technology is worth it.
It was reported just a few hours ago that one of these drones saved two young boys from drowning. This is a world first and a pretty great use of the technology.
Two boys were caught in three-metre swells while swimming off Lennox Head in New South Wales. People on the beach saw the distressed boys and alerted a lifeguard. The Lifeguard contacted the drone pilot who then activated the drone.
“I was able to launch it, fly it to the location, and drop the pod all in about one to two minutes,” – Jai Sheridan, lifeguard supervisor.
“On a normal day that would have taken our lifeguards a few minutes longer to reach the members of the public.”
They are currently developing a new kind of artificial intelligence that will be able to identify different shapes in the water and confirm if it is a threat. The drones will have a 90% accuracy rate when spotting sharks whereas the human eye only has an accuracy rate of about 16%.
It is a good feeling seeing technology get used to better the world.
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