Ever wondered what Baywatch would have been like with robot lifeguards instead of human ones? It probably would not have the same appeal, but in any case the folks at Hydronalix have come up with a robot lifeguard dubbed E.M.I.L.Y., which we’re sure that most of you guys have figured out by now is an acronym for something. It stands for Emergency Integrated Lifesaving Lanyard and was actually unveiled as a concept two years ago, although Hydronalix has recently started selling commercial versions.
So what will E.M.I.L.Y. do? Could it be a replacement for human lifeguards? Apparently not as the robot has been described as more of a “tool” rather than a replacement. What it does is that it will propel itself to drowning victims and offer them floatation support while they wait for actual human rescue. It has the ability to travel at 25 miles per hour will support up to four people. The device has come with several safety features, such as a screen on the intake valve of the jet pump to prevent fingers and long hair from getting caught.
Hydronalix has stated that possible future iterations of E.M.I.L.Y. could come with sonar scanners to help detect objects and possibly people trapped underwater. Pretty cool, huh?
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