An AI system, 11 “Paw Squad” dogs, are trained to find and rescue stranded victims, search/rescue in rocky areas, and find missing children on the beaches of Goa.
This initiative is the first of its kind in Asia, a Drishti Marine official said in front of Tourism Minister Rohan Kante.
“They are being trained to spot and rescue victims in distress, search and rescue in rocky areas and locate missing children at the beaches. The paw squad is being trained by canine expert Arjun Shawn Moitra and will be deployed first at high-density beaches,” the spokesperson said.
Khante welcomed the initiative and said such work requires the routine use of new technologies and innovations.
The Drishti Marine spokesperson said it is putting the finishing touches on two artificial intelligence platforms, Aurus and Triton, to assist lifesavers on beaches.
“Aurus is a self-driving robot and the AI-powered monitoring system, Triton, will augment life-saving capabilities along Goa’s beaches. Both systems can monitor the surroundings, assess risks and share real-time information to help on-duty lifesavers respond faster,” the spokesperson said.
He added, “Aurus is currently deployed as a pilot project at Miramar Beach in North Goa for assistance in beach closure, while Triton, still in testing mode, has been deployed at Baina, Velsao, Benaulim, Galgibag beaches in South Goa and Morjim in North Goa.”
Drishti Marine Operations Manager Navin Awasthi said it plans to deploy 100 Triton units and 10 Aurus units to state beaches in the coming months.