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Experimental Wearable Pops Its Top to Send Drowning Alerts


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A swimmer wears the APPTRAKK module on his wrist.

IF APPTRAKK detects its wearer is drowning, a Wi-Fi transmitter module on the device pops loose and floats to the surface, then transmits a signal to an app on the lifeguard's paired smartphone or tablet.

Credit: Macquarie University

An experimental device under development by scientists at Australia's Macquarie University is designed to alert lifeguards when its wearer is drowning.

The APPTRAKK device's sensors monitor heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, movement patterns, pool depth, and duration of submersion.

APPTRAKK processes this information via an artificial intelligence-powered onboard operating system.

If the combined readings suggest the wearer is drowning, the device's Wi-Fi transmitter module detaches and floats to the surface, sending a signal to the lifeguard's paired smartphone or tablet. This triggers an alarm and displays the swimmer's location.

From New Atlas
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Abstracts Copyright © 2022 SmithBucklin, Washington, DC, USA


 

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