Beaches in Goa will now be watched over by an AI-powered self-driving robot, Aurus, and an AI-based monitoring system, Triton, introduced by state-appointed lifeguard organisation Drishti Marine.
This comes after an increase in beach-related incidents on beaches across Goa. A spokesperson for Drishti Marine told the Press Trust of India that there have been more than 1,000 rescue incidents in the past two years along the coastal belt that have required assistance from the agency’s life savers.
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Aurus will assist lifesavers by patrolling extensive no-swim zones and alerting people about high tides. It will increase surveillance and crowd management, according to the spokesperson. It is currently being used at Miramar beach in North Goa.
Triton will provide AI-based monitoring of non-swim zones, alert people of danger, and notify the nearest lifesaver, if necessary. It is deployed at Baina, Velsao, Benaulim, Galgibag in South Goa, and Morjim in North Goa, an official from the agency told PTI. Drishti Marine aims to deploy 100 Triton units and 10 Aurus units on the state’s beaches this year.
While robots have been used to clean beaches, those saving people from drowning have been in the works. According to the World Health Organization, drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional injury death worldwide, accounting for 7% of all injury-related deaths. It is the cause of an estimated 236,000 deaths worldwide.
This is not the first time robots that rescue operations have been turned to robots to reduce incidents of drowning. Last year, Vishakapattnam conducted a demonstration of a robotic Lifebuoy, which helps in rescuing people from drowning, according to a report by The Hindu.
It was also reported that the Centre for Aerospace Research (CASR) of Anna University, Tamil Nadu, was planning to develop drones to prevent drowning at sea. The drones would be designed to fly automatically, detect people drowning, and drop a folded-up flotation device near the person, according to a report in The New Indian Express.
The hi-tech drones with the camera will be powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and be part of Tamil Nadu’s ‘Marina Beach Life Guard Unit.’
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(With inputs from Press Trust of India)
