Smart Water Rescue Solution

I. Background and Challenges

With the rapid growth of urbanization, tourism, water sports, shipping, and ferry transport, water-related activities have significantly increased, along with the risk of drowning, overboard incidents, vessel collisions, floods, and flash floods.

Traditional rescue methods (boats, lifeguards, shore patrols, divers) often struggle with large-area coverage, fast-changing conditions, low visibility, and delayed response times. Unmanned systems (drones, USVs, rescue robots, sonar) have already proven effective in firefighting, earthquake, and air rescue scenarios. Applying them to aquatic rescue can provide integrated capabilities of speed, reconnaissance, delivery, and support.

Key Challenges

Challenge Specific Issues
Delayed detection / blind spots Difficult for human eyes or shore-based binoculars to cover wide areas; islands, terrain, water plants, and glare create blind zones.
Slow response time Launching and navigating rescue boats takes time; weather, currents, and obstacles increase delays.
Poor situational awareness Changing water dynamics, floating debris, drifting victims, and poor visibility at night or in fog.
Limited capacity Boats and rescue teams have limited manpower and range, especially for multiple casualties.
Nighttime / harsh conditions Traditional methods are weakened under low light, fog, or storms.
Rescuer safety risks Rescuers themselves face risks of drowning, collision, or entrapment.
Coordination difficulties Multiple devices (drones, boats, sonar, shore systems) often operate separately, causing delays in command decisions.

II. Application Scenarios

  • Lakes / Reservoirs in tourist areas – Swimmers, boaters, or visitors falling into water.

  • Rivers / Canyons – Strong currents, steep banks, poor accessibility.

  • Coastal waters / Ferry routes – Victims drifting far in waves and tides.

  • Floods / Flash floods – Communities trapped in rising waters.

  • Nighttime / foggy environments – Visibility challenges for traditional rescue methods.

III. Proposed Solution

1. System Components

  • Aerial-Water Rescue: Rescue drone lifebuoy or flying lifeboat can fly to the drowning person by remote control. The flying lifeboat can carry the drowner back to the shore
  • Surface Rescue Units: Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs), self-righting rescue boats, smart floating devices and tow systems.
  • Underwater Detection: Sonar systems for underwater obstacle mapping and target detection.
  • Command & Communication Hub: Centralized platform integrating UAVs, USVs, sonar, GIS, real-time video and thermal imaging, redundant communication links.
  • Emergency Medical & Transport Support: Folding stretchers, oxygen kits, first-aid modules, rapid transport to shore or hospital.

2. Rescue Workflow Example

  1. Alert triggered
  2. Drone & USV dispatched
  3. Drone locates victim, drops lifebuoy
  4. USV navigates to victim
  5. Victim transported to shore
  6. Medical team takes over
  7. System reset & standby

3. Special Scenarios

  • Night/Fog: IR cameras, spotlights, sonar navigation
  • Maritime rescues: Extended range drones + anti-wave boats
  • Mass incidents: Multiple UAVs and USVs coordinated centrally
  • Complex terrain: Sonar mapping + obstacle avoidance USVs

IV. Advantages

IV. Advantages

Advantage Description
Rapid response Drones reach the site in minutes, ensuring critical golden rescue time.
Wide coverage & accurate detection Aerial + thermal imaging eliminates blind zones for precise victim location.
Direct rescue delivery UAVs and USVs can immediately drop lifebuoys, rescue kits, or flotation devices.
All-weather / day-night capability System works in darkness, rain, fog, or storm conditions.
Safety for rescuers Reduces risks to human rescuers by minimizing direct water entry.
Scalable & modular Components can be flexibly combined depending on the scenario.
Cost-effective & training support Lower long-term operational costs and supports training/simulation exercises.
Command transparency Real-time dashboards allow quick, informed decision-making during rescue operations.

V. Implementation Recommendations

  • Pilot deployment in high-risk zones
  • Equipment matching to environment
  • Redundant communications setup
  • AI-powered command software
  • Regular training & drills
  • Regulatory compliance & maintenance
  • Data-driven system improvements