Beginning in September, automated drones will patrol the shores of Australia’s sharkiest beaches in an attempt to give surfers and swimmers advanced notice of potentially dangerous sharks entering the area.
The project is a joint venture between the University of Technology Sydney’s School of Software and Little Ripper Group, a commercial UAV company, that began in 2016.
The drones are equipped with high-definition cameras linked to AI software that can be up to 90 percent more effective in identifying sharks than human spotters.
“It’s not about replacing human beings all together, it’s about assisting human beings to get the work done in a better way with more accuracy. That’s what the application is meant for,” Dr Nabin Sharma, who helped develop the AI algorithm that powers the software, told Reuters News.
Once a potential threat has been identified, loudspeakers attached to the drone will alert beachgoers to the shark’s presence.
Source: U.S.
