Chinese scientists have designed the first AI-powered robot lifeguard designed to operate without any human intervention.
Researchers are testing the robot at a riverside site in Lihe city in central Henan province, where it will be permanently stationed.
The robot uses artificial intelligence, big data, navigation and tracking technology, and can operate 24 hours a day without human control or presence, according to a team from the Hefei Institute of Physical Sciences, an affiliate of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Lifeguards use algorithms to determine if someone is drowning and are equipped with life buoys and rescue arms to pull people out of the water if they are unable to grab onto the side without help.
Drowning can occur quickly and silently, and the critical time to rescue a person is less than five minutes. This means that robots that can reach the scene faster than humans can be the difference between life and death.
The robotic lifeguard is designed to operate within a designated body of water and requires a network of 100 optical and thermal imaging cameras to cover the entire area 24 hours a day.
The camera footage is sent to a server that uses algorithms to determine if someone is in trouble in the water, in which case a lifeguard is dispatched.
