Robot lifeguards are here: China's self-driving patrol boats and drones that stop people from drowning are revealed

  • Autonomous speedboats have started patrolling Tian'e Lake in Hefei, east China
  • Boats can detect 'moving targets' in a lake where 15 people drowned in 2016
  • The vehicles are equipped with cameras, GPS, and infrared and acoustic sensors

By DAISY DUNNE FOR MAILONLINE

Published: | Updated:

Robotic speedboats and drones have taken up life-guarding duty in a lake in China.

Self-driving vehicles that can detect 'moving targets' have started patrolling Tian'e Lake in Hefei, eastern China - an area where 15 people drowned in 2016.

New images reveal how the autonomous boats are equipped with cameras, GPS and infrared and acoustic sensors, according to Chinese police officers.

Robotic speedboats (pictured) and drones have taken up life-guarding duty in a lake in China. The self-driving vehicles able to detect 'moving targets'

Robotic speedboats (pictured) and drones have taken up life-guarding duty in a lake in China. The self-driving vehicles able to detect 'moving targets'

ROBOTIC LIFEGUARDS 

Self-driving vehicles able to detect 'moving targets' have started patrolling Tian'e Lake in Hefei, eastern China - an area where 15 people drowned in 2016.

The autonomous boats are equipped with cameras, GPS and infrared and acoustic sensors, according to Chinese police officers.

The three-metre-long (nine feet) boats are able to alert swimmers when they stray into these dangerous zones, he said.

And the boats can also send an alert with the location of rogue swimmers to lake officials.

The boats can even pull people to safety if they choose to grab hold of it while in a danger zone, according to Chinese police.

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The lake itself has been fitted with 20 optical and infrared sensors to help divide it into 'safe' and 'dangerous' zones, according to Zhang Bao, deputy general manager of Anhui CAS-Huacheng Intelligent Technology, which built the new boats.

'A radio transmitter built on an island in the lake helps the boat divide the water into different sectors,' he told China Daily.

The three-metre-long (nine feet) boats are able to alert swimmers when they stray into these dangerous zones, he said.

And the boats can also send an alert with the location of rogue swimmers to lake officials.

The boats can even pull people to safety if they choose to grab hold of it while in a danger zone, according to Chinese police.

'If someone struggles in the lake, the patrol boat can use sonar and other underwater detectors to track the location of the swimmer and call for help,' Wang Xu, a branch director of Hefei police, told Hefei Evening News. 

The autonomous boats (pictured) are equipped with cameras, GPS and infrared and acoustic sensors, according to Chinese police officers

The autonomous boats (pictured) are equipped with cameras, GPS and infrared and acoustic sensors, according to Chinese police officers

The boats operate alongside three drones (pictured), which are used to send life preserver rings, food and medical supplies to people in distress

The boats operate alongside three drones (pictured), which are used to send life preserver rings, food and medical supplies to people in distress

Tian'e Lake was first opened to the public for swimming in 2004.

'At least 66 people have drowned,' Xu told China Daily.

'15 of those died in 2016.'

'Most of the victims were swimmers. Others committed suicide.'

The boats operate alongside three drones, which are used to send life preserver rings, food and medical supplies to people in distress.

Boats can even pull people to safety if they choose to grab hold of it while in a danger zone, according to Chinese police

Boats can even pull people to safety if they choose to grab hold of it while in a danger zone, according to Chinese police

The autonomous vehicles have started patrolling Tian'e Lake in Hefei, eastern China - an area where 15 people drowned in 2016

The autonomous vehicles have started patrolling Tian'e Lake in Hefei, eastern China - an area where 15 people drowned in 2016

The autonomous vehicles are working at the 172-acre (90 hectare) lake alongside 33 human lifeguards, according to local media reports.

But in the future, the human lifeguards are likely to be replaced by machines, according to Xu.

'In the future, most of the lifeguards will be replaced by the robot,' Zhang Bao told China Daily.

'The boat, powered by a battery, can be used to patrol rivers, reservoirs, lakes and seas - not only for security purposes but also for environmental surveillance and data collection.' 

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