Future Apple Watch mannequin may detect when a person is drowning and summon assist

The Apple Watch can be skilled to make use of its sensors to find out when a swimmer is displaying indicators of irregular habits whereas within the water. The patent software notes, “In some embodiments, the swimming metrics and different info (e.g., coronary heart fee, blood oxygen ranges) are enter right into a machine studying mannequin that has been skilled to categorise a swimmer displaying common or irregular behaviour when within the water.”

Sensors akin to the center fee monitor and the heartbeat oximeter, which measures blood oxygen ranges, can be very helpful in figuring out whether or not an Apple Watch person is drowning. Apple writes within the patent software, “When a swimmer is in misery (e.g., resulting from a coronary heart assault), the person’s underwater behaviour turns into irregular. The irregular behaviour is mirrored within the swimming analytics metrics and different info, akin to coronary heart fee or different important indicators.” The characteristic may additionally warn lifeguards, pool attendants, and oldsters when a baby has crossed into the deep finish of the pool, in line with the patent software. 

Apple factors out that 3,500 folks within the U.S. drown yearly. The corporate additionally notes that whereas there are already techniques accessible that mix stay video feeds with object recognition software program to find out if a swimmer is in bother, these techniques can produce false “drowning” readings and swimmers can even block the cameras.

Simply because Apple filed this patent software final September, it doesn’t imply that the corporate might be granted a patent. And even when it does, there is no such thing as a assure that this know-how will find yourself in a future iteration of the Apple Watch.