Innovation at Sea: UCSC developing AI for beach safety

ACTION NEWS 8 REPORTER ááARIANA JASOááá EXPLAINS. <SHOW OCEAN/BEACH> IT ALL BEGAN WITH A PASSION FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLEGENCE .. THE OCEAN.. AND A TRAGIC LOSS. <SHOW PROFESSOR> INSPIRATION FOR A POTENTIAL LIFE-SAVING AI SYSTEM THAT DETECTS RIPTIDES.. FIRST SPARKED FOR UC SANTA CRUZ PROFESSOR ALEX PANG.. BACK IN 2015.. WHEN HE WAS WINDSURFING WITH FRIENDS.. BUT BEYOND THAT.. <ALEX PANG// UCSC COMPUTER SCIENCE PROFESSOR> 3:27 AROUND THE SAME TIME, WE ACTUALLY LOST TWO UCSD STUDENTS TO TWO TO RIP CURRENTS AS WELL. 3:35 <ALEX PANG// UCSC COMPUTER SCIENCE PROFESSOR> 3:54 IT PROVIDED THE MOTIVATION TO PRIORITIZE THIS WORK AND PUT MORE EMPHASIS ON IT. 3:59 RIPTIDES ARE POWERFUL CHANNELS OF FAST MOVING WATER.. THEY'RE DIFFICULT TO DETECT AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS FOR SWIMMERS.. <ALEX PANG// UCSC COMPUTER SCIENCE PROFESSOR> 6:54 SOMETIMES AN OLYMPIC LEVEL SWIMMER CANNOT OUTRUN RIP CURRENTS OR OUT SWIMMER RIP CURRENTS 7:02 SO PANG AND HIS TEAM SET OUT TO CREATE A TOOL THAT WOULD IDENTIFY THE SILENT THREAT LURKING BENEATH THE WAVES.. (0269)) <ALEX PANG// UCSC COMPUTER SCIENCE PROFESSOR> 2:10 OUR GOAL IS TO SINCE MOST PEOPLE DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW IT LOOKS LIKE. RIGHT. IS TO KIND OF NOT GET IN A BAD SITUATION IN THE FIRST PLACE. 2:19 THE WAY IT WORKS IS.. MACHINE LEARNING IS APPLIED.. TO TEACH THE SYSTEM HOW TO IDENTIFY SIGNS OF RIPTIDES.. BASED OFF CAMERAS THAT MONITORS THE WAVES.. PROCESSING THEM WITH ALGORITHMS.. <ALEX PANG// UCSC COMPUTER SCIENCE PROFESSOR> 4:08 AND THE ALGORITHM IS BASICALLY DETECTING WHERE THE RIPS ARE. 4:11 AND THE DETECTION IS BEING REPRESENTED BY THIS RED BOXES THAT YOU SEE. 4:14 A TOOL THAT COULD HELP LIFE GUARDS AND OTHER FIRST RESPONDERS.. BUT ENGINEER STUDENT, FAHIM KHAN.. IS FOCUSING ON DEVELOPING IT INTO AN APP.. EVENUTALLY PUTTING IT INTO THE HANDS OF YOUR EVERYDAY BEACHGOER.. <FAHIM KHAN // UCSC ENGINEER STUDENT> 1:06 I'M ALWAYS INTERESTED IN WORKING OR APPLYING COMPUTER SCIENCE FOR A PROJECT WITH SOCIAL IMPACT THAT HAS REAL LIFE APPLICATIONS. 1:13 <FAHIM KHAN // UCSC ENGINEER STUDENT> 3:46 WHEN SOMEONE NOT VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE TECHNOLOGY, THEY'RE GOING TO USE THE APP. SO WE NEED TO MAKE IT BETTER AND MORE USER FRIENDLY 3:56 THE RESEARCHERS HOPE THE SYSTEM WILL BENEFIT OTHER AREAS OF LIFE AS WELL.. THINGS LIKE COASTAL EROSION, AND RISING SEA LEVELS.. BUT THE MAIN GO

It all began with a passion for artificial intelligence, the ocean, and a tragic loss.Inspiration for a potential lifesaving AI system that detects rip currents first sparked for University of California, Santa Cruz Professor Alex Pang back in 2015 while he was windsurfing with friends. But beyond that, it was when two UCSC students died from drowning. “Around the same time, we actually lost two UCSD students to rip currents as well,” said Pang. “It provided the motivation to prioritize this work and put more emphasis on it.”So, Pang and his team set out to create a tool that would identify the silent threat lurking beneath the waves. Related | Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute AI aims to accelerate ocean analysisRip currents are powerful channels of fast-moving water. They're not only difficult to point out, they're also extremely dangerous for swimmers. “Our goal is to, since most people don't really know how it looks like, is to kind of not get in a bad situation in the first place,” said Pang. The way it works is, that through the method of applying machine learning, the system is taught to identify signs of rip currents. The data is based on camera video that monitors the waves, processing them with algorithms.“The algorithm is basically detecting where the rips are, and the detection is being represented by this red boxes," Pang explained.One of the many goals is to help lifeguards and other first responders.However, engineering student, Fahim Khan, is focusing on developing it into an app. He hopes to bring it to the hands of your everyday beachgoer so that they’re able to use it without internet. “I’m always interested in working or applying computer science for a project with social impact that has real-life applications,” said Khan. He points out that they still need more data and to better the readings and to make it more user-friendly. Engineers also say that they hope AI will benefit other areas of study as well like coastal erosion and rising sea levels. But their main goal right now is to save lives. Related | Monterey Bay researchers looking for beta testers for new video game

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. —

It all began with a passion for artificial intelligence, the ocean, and a tragic loss.

Inspiration for a potential lifesaving AI system that detects rip currents first sparked for University of California, Santa Cruz Professor Alex Pang back in 2015 while he was windsurfing with friends. But beyond that, it was when two UCSC students died from drowning.

“Around the same time, we actually lost two UCSD students to rip currents as well,” said Pang. “It provided the motivation to prioritize this work and put more emphasis on it.”

So, Pang and his team set out to create a tool that would identify the silent threat lurking beneath the waves.

Rip currents are powerful channels of fast-moving water. They're not only difficult to point out, they're also extremely dangerous for swimmers.

“Our goal is to, since most people don't really know how it looks like, is to kind of not get in a bad situation in the first place,” said Pang.

The way it works is, that through the method of applying machine learning, the system is taught to identify signs of rip currents. The data is based on camera video that monitors the waves, processing them with algorithms.

“The algorithm is basically detecting where the rips are, and the detection is being represented by this red boxes," Pang explained.

One of the many goals is to help lifeguards and other first responders.

However, engineering student, Fahim Khan, is focusing on developing it into an app. He hopes to bring it to the hands of your everyday beachgoer so that they’re able to use it without internet.

“I’m always interested in working or applying computer science for a project with social impact that has real-life applications,” said Khan. He points out that they still need more data and to better the readings and to make it more user-friendly.

Engineers also say that they hope AI will benefit other areas of study as well like coastal erosion and rising sea levels. But their main goal right now is to save lives.

Innovation at Sea: UCSC developing AI for beach safety

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