Drones are gradually becoming indispensable assistants for various tasks. For instance. Australian authorities are developing a program for tracking sharks near the country’s coastline using drones. The program is aimed at improving the safety of local beaches. According to The Verge, drones which will be able to recognize sharks with the help of computer vision and artificial intelligence.
These drones, called Little Ripper, were first tested last year. Earlier, finding sharks was the responsibility of people operating cameras on drones. However, according to the developers of Little Ripper, people could spot sharks only with 20-30% accuracy, while artificial intelligence distinguishes sharks from whales and dolphins with an accuracy of 90%.
To achieve this accuracy, the special algorithm has been developed using a database of images and videos taken from the air. When a shark is detected, drones will warn people in the water with the built-in loudspeaker. Besides, drones can drop a lifejacket or a signal beacon to people.
In fact, in order to prevent shark attacks, Australia also uses helicopters and smart coastal obstacles – a system of hooks with bait, equipped with GPS-buoys. If the shark hits the hook, the barrier will immediately send a signal and the specialists arriving at the site will be able to free the shark and release it away from crowded beaches.
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