Future Apple Watch models’ new life saving feature will detect drowning and send alerts for help
Apple is reportedly working on a new life-saving feature for its future Watch users. The feature will reportedly alert nearby users if a person wearing the Apple Watch starts to drown in any water body including ponds, rivers, lakes, and seas.
The feature was reportedly spotted on a new patent application. According to the new patent application, Apple is working on a feature that will be able to detect when a user wearing the device is showing irregular behaviour while swimming and is in distress with the help of the smartwatch’s existing sensors. It will then send alerts to nearby Apple Watch users and summon help.
Notably, a recent report has claimed that the Apple Watch Series 10 could feature an upgraded display that offers better battery life.
Apple recently applied for a patent with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The Cupertino-based tech giant has shared that drowning is the fifth most common cause of accidental deaths in the country and every year 3,500 people drown and lose their lives just in the US. So, this feature will work as a drowning prevention system.
Moreover, Apple will be using the existing sensors on the Watch to work this feature instead of adding new sensors. The existing sensors will sense if the user shows irregular behaviour underwater by interpreting the previous data
As per the patent application, the primary trigger for this will be its inertial sensor which will determine if the head, arms, and torso of the swimmer is positioned in a way that suggests irregular behaviour. It will then be compared with the Apple Watch’s heart rate sensor or the blood oxygen sensor to check if the user’s heart rate has suddenly elevated or the VO2 max levels have suddenly dropped. This will let the Watch determine whether the user is about to drown. A special machine learning algorithm will then analyze the data to predict if the user is really drowning.
In case a user is found to be at risk of drowning, the Apple Watch could send an alert to emergency service providers as well as nearby users and lifeguards. The company also highlighted that the system could also share similar alerts in case a child is swimming in a pool and accidentally goes to the deeper end. It is noted that the feature currently exists as a patent application. It is not certain whether Apple will get the patent for this technology, and when Apple Watch devices may carry the drowning alert feature.
Ms Kalinga