Drones to detect sharks on Australian beaches

[OyaYansa]

Sharks do not usually come to places where there are large crowds of people, but sometimes attack solitary bathers or surfers. Several shark attacks have already been reported on Australian beaches this year, so authorities are studying different measures to prevent sharks from approaching people.

The most classic is to surround the beaches with nets, but ecologists argue that they damage the seabed and kill hundreds of fish, turtles and other animals. That is why more technological solutions are being tried, such as the use of artificial intelligence drones to detect sharks and warn bathers. Next September several of them will patrol the Australian beaches.

Sydney University of Technology, in collaboration with the manufacturer of drones Little Ripper Group, have developed a dron equipped with artificial intelligence that is able to detect sharks.

The artificial intelligence software has been trained with hundreds of photos and video of real sharks captured from the air, because it is the vision that will have the dron when the sea is flying. With this information, the dron is able to distinguish sharks from other marine creatures, such as dolphins and whales, as well as bathers and boats.

When the dron detects a shark it sends a warning to a security operator, who can implement the measures he deems appropriate. But the role of the dron is not limited to observe. Carry a small lifeboat and a position stick, in case a bather is in trouble and needs a place to climb. It also has a megaphone to warn people nearby that there is a shark nearby.

Little Ripper Group is developing an electronic shark repellent that will be incorporated into the drone and will drive away the animal through electric currents.

As we have said, the first drones guarding the sharks will be operational in Australia next September ..