Search and Rescue Teams Leverage Artificial Intelligence to Locate Survivors Amid Devastating Texas Floods
Revolutionary Sonar Device AquaEye Speeds Up Underwater Search-and-Rescue Operations
In a groundbreaking development, VodaSafe's AquaEye handheld sonar device is transforming underwater search-and-rescue missions. This innovative device, based in Vancouver, Canada, uses artificial intelligence (AI) to detect human victims quickly and accurately.
The AI in AquaEye works by sending out sonar pulses that echo off objects underwater. These echoes are then analysed in real-time by the AI, which compares the returning signals to thousands of pre-collected sonar scans of human bodies. This extensive training has enabled the AI to recognise the unique sonar signature characteristics of a human body, marking potential victims' locations with an "X" on the device screen.
Key features of AquaEye include a handheld sonar system with AI target recognition, capable of scanning up to a 50-meter radius. It also boasts real-time processing of sonar echoes to differentiate human bodies from other underwater objects. The AI, trained on thousands of human-body sonar scans, improves accuracy in victim recognition.
Over 500 rescue teams worldwide have adopted AquaEye, demonstrating its operational reliability in real-world scenarios. Users have reported saving 80% to 90% of search time, making it a valuable tool in emergency situations.
Recent flooding in central Texas, where the Guadalupe River rose 26 feet in 45 minutes on July 4, has highlighted the need for faster, more efficient search-and-rescue methods. AquaEye could prove invaluable in such situations, saving precious time compared to conventional methods. Every second counts when people are at risk of drowning, as Carlyn Loncaric, the founder and CEO of VodaSafe, emphasises.
The majority of the casualties from the flood occurred around Kerr County, specifically at a local Christian summer camp called Camp Mystic. AquaEye's ability to interpret sonar data in real-time contrasts with traditional sonar methods that require manual analysis by rescue teams, significantly speeding up victim detection.
AquaEye can scour the width of a football field in just 45 seconds, making it a rapid and efficient tool for divers searching for victims in murky water. It can be paired via Bluetooth with a companion app, allowing users to adjust settings such as distance markers and update the device firmware to maintain AI and software performance.
AquaEye is being used by first responders in North and South America, Europe, and Asia. Notable users include Colleton County Fire-Rescue in South Carolina, Oakland County Sheriff's office in White Lake Township, Michigan, and Ocean City Fire Department in Maryland, among others.
As of July 23, the current tally of the dead is 136, according to Gov. Greg Abbott, as reported by ABC News. The AquaEye device offers a glimmer of hope in such tragic circumstances, demonstrating the potential of AI-driven technology to save lives in search-and-rescue missions.
The AI-driven technology in AquaEye not only analyses sonar data in real-time but also compares it with thousands of pre-collected sonar scans of human bodies, marker potential victims' locations on the device screen for quick identification. This application of artificial intelligence in underwater search-and-rescue operations demonstrates the potential of technology to enhance data analysis and ultimately, save lives.
