Australian lifeguards may get swimmer-detecting cams
Researchers at Australia's Griffith University are working to modify low-resolution webcams to detect swimmers and notify lifeguards of potentially dangerous situations. Right now, the black-and-white cameras are able to detect people with 85% accuracy, according to the developer. The next step is to improve that accuracy through enhanced pattern recognition and to add motion detection so that the cameras can track swimmers who stray into unsafe areas. The developer hopes to have a beach-ready version within two years and insists that, despite the fact that the cams will be aimed at crowds of scantily clad beachgoers, there are no privacy issues, as the resolution will be too low to identify individuals.
[Via the Raw Feed]
