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Kinmen County Pool Deploys AI Drowning Prevention System

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Kinmen County's public swimming pool launched an AI-powered drowning prevention system, the first of its kind on Taiwan's outlying islands.
  • The system uses AI image recognition and multiple smart devices to detect and alert lifeguards to potential drowning incidents within seconds.
  • Officials hope the AI technology can be expanded to public safety for the elderly and those with dementia, further developing Kinmen into a friendly and livable island.

Kinmen County's public swimming pool has become the first on Taiwan's outlying islands to integrate an advanced AI-powered drowning prevention system. This cutting-edge technology aims to enhance swimmer safety by providing real-time monitoring and rapid response capabilities.

The system employs AI image recognition technology, utilizing 16 high-resolution cameras to cover both the large and small pools comprehensively. It continuously monitors swimmers for abnormal conditions such as prolonged stillness or unusual postures. Upon detecting a potential drowning situation, the AI system, with a secondary verification mechanism, can identify and alert lifeguards within seconds.

Kinmen is an aging society. We hope AI functions can be extended to the management of public safety, such as for the care of the elderly and patients with dementia, using similar safety monitoring systems to alert caregivers.

— Wu Tsung-yunExecutive director of the Administrative Yuan's Kinma Joint Service Center, commenting on the potential expansion of AI technology for public safety.

Alerts are synchronized across multiple smart devices, including warning lights, tablets, a large display screen, and specialized smartwatches for lifeguards. This multi-channel notification system ensures that lifeguards receive immediate, precise information to locate and rescue individuals in distress swiftly. The system is designed to be adaptive, with its AI models continuously optimizing based on operational data to minimize false alarms and missed detections, thereby improving accuracy over time.

Officials highlighted the system's potential beyond the swimming pool. Wu Tsung-yun, executive director of the Administrative Yuan's Kinma Joint Service Center, expressed hope that the AI technology could be extended to public safety management for the elderly and individuals with dementia. This expansion would involve using similar monitoring systems to alert caregivers to potential issues, further advancing Kinmen's goal of becoming a friendly and livable island.

Swimming pool safety management is 'people-oriented, with technology as a supplement.' Professional lifeguards combined with the AI system's 24-hour monitoring can compensate for human blind spots and ensure swimmer safety.

— Huang Ya-fenDirector of the Kinmen County Education Department, explaining the approach to safety at the swimming pool.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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