After witnessing a swimmer nearly drown, a group of friends have created a world-first AI lifesaver, ready to patrol Aussie beaches.
ResQvision is the brainchild of surf lifesaver Alex Piatek and his mates Bryan Pakulsk and Julian Kovacek.
The AI platform works by pointing a camera connected to the internet at the ocean.
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Artificial intelligence will then detect any rip currents, swimmers in distress, and large marine life.
It can differentiate between a swimmer who is OK and one who needs urgent help.
The technology works in tandem with additional AI models that detect rip currents and ocean animals, and then combine all the information available to decide when to alert first responders to potentially dangerous situations.
When a distressed swimmer is detected in a rip, it alerts off-duty rescuers, sending them a text alert with the swimmer’s exact location, as well as a video of them in the water.
ResQvision will be trialled at Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach this summer, with its surf lifesavers providing feedback.
From there, the technology’s creators are looking to roll the program out across Australia and eventually overseas.
According to Surf Life Saving Australia’s 2024 National Coastal Safety Report, more than half of the 150 coastal drownings in the year to June 2024 occurred at beaches, with one in three beach drowning deaths due to rip currents.
Seven in 10 coastal drowning deaths occurred more than one kilometre away from a surf lifesaving service.
Piatek said there was no doubt his AI program could help save lives, particularly at unmanned beaches and in situations where lifeguards were off duty.
“There has never been a more opportune time to launch this lifesaving technology in Australia,” Piatek said.
“In 2024, coastal drownings spiked by 22 percent, with after-hours incidents and rip currents being major contributors.
“As a volunteer lifesaver myself, my passion for preventing these tragedies led to the invention of ResQvision. Ready for a summer rollout, this technology has the potential to significantly improve beach safety not just in Australia, but globally.”
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