Iranian scientists develop lifeguard drone

Human lifeguards may become a thing of the past, as scientists have developed and successfuly tested a drone capable of saving drowning victims at sea.

Iranian engineers working for RTS Labs , led by. Amin Riji, have been testing the machine since August, and the results are as promising as they are practical. The Pars Aerial Rescue Robot, or Pars robot for short, is capable of flying to a victim at sea in record time and dispensing a lifesaver within arms reach of the person in need. In the initial tests, the robot was able to rescue the victim within 22 seconds, while a human lifeguard took about 90 seconds. The drone can fly at speeds up to 22 mph, and can stay airborne for up to ten minutes at a time.

Mr. Riji and his team have high hopes for the future, saying, "We think that [one day] the drone could be used for rescues at coastlines, for offshore missions from floating marine platforms, and also to carry out rescues when floods occur." Future improvements may include infrared imaging for night rescues, increased lifesaver capacity, and image processing and recognition, eleminating the need for human controllers.