2 days ago
Divers Using AI in Texas Flood Recovery
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Recovery teams are facing immense challenges following the deadly floods that ravaged Central Texas two weeks ago, with efforts being complicated by poor visibility, debris-filled rivers, and limited resources.
At least one dive team is using a handheld, artificial intelligence (AI)-powered sonar device, called AquaEye which has been called a "game changer" for search and recovery operations along the Guadalupe River, local news station KENS5 reported.
Newsweek has reached out to AquaEye via email Saturday during non-working hours for more information on how many devices have been deployed to Texas following the deadly floods.
Why It Matters
Volunteers, along with local, state and federal rescue crews, are still searching for the over 100 people that are still missing from the floods that overflowed the Guadalupe River that killed at least 135 people.
Earlier this week, Texas Governor Greg Abbott extended the disaster declaration to include 26 counties impacted.
What To Know
Ongoing rain and flash flooding has further complicated efforts to recover people.
"Teams have been working on foot from the headwaters of the Guadalupe River to Canyon Lake and back, focused on recovering loved ones and bringing their families closure," Kerr County wrote on Friday in an update on Facebook.
At least four teams are using the AquaEye device to aid in these efforts. The device operates much like a radar gun, but for underwater analysis, according to KENS5.
Divers submerge the device, pull the trigger, and high-frequency sound waves are emitted, Carlyn Loncaric, founder and CEO of AquaEye, told KENS5. The returning echoes are instantly analyzed by onboard AI to distinguish between debris, rocks, and soft tissue which would likely indicate a human body.
Loncaric originally designed the device in 2020 to assist lifeguards and camps in locating drowning victims quickly. She then realized there were more applications it could be used for.
"As soon as we started trying to sell it and talk to people, I realized that the need was much greater than I had ever believed," Loncaric told KENS5. "It sends out sound pulses just like any sonar device does. When the echoes return, it analyzes them and uses AI to try to figure out, 'Okay which objects have a high likelihood of being a human being?"
Loncaric said that while the device is not infallible, search teams routinely report an 80-90 percent reduction in search times. Its simplicity means rescue teams can initiate scans within seconds, drastically improving response times compared to traditional methods involving boats and extensive crews.
Search and rescue operations are performed in the Guadalupe River on July 14 in Kerrville, Texas.
Search and rescue operations are performed in the Guadalupe River on July 14 in Kerrville, Texas.
Photo byWhat People Are Saying
Carlyn Loncaric, founder and CEO of AquaEye, told KENS5 about the device: "It will scan the area of a football field in a minute and pinpoint the location of a victim."
Rescue volunteer Courtney Adair told KENS5: "You have about 6-inch visibility, which makes searching almost impossible. AquaEye kind of breaks down that barrier. It extends that search area, the radius to better detect soft tissue that we are looking to recover and investigate."
What Happens Next?
Recovery efforts are expected to last for months, with federal resources being deployed to assist in the impacted areas.
