In a breakthrough for AI Underwater Search, Carlyn Loncaric, a Vancouver native, has unveiled AquaEye—an innovative sonar device designed to revolutionize the search for individuals submerged underwater. Loncaric’s innovative creation serves as a luminous beacon of hope, casting its radiant glow upon the multitude of lives tragically claimed by the annual scourge of drowning. In its essence, it proffers a palpable remedy, poised to hasten and enhance the endeavors dedicated to search and rescue missions.
A game-changer in underwater search
Carlyn Loncaric’s journey to creating AquaEye began during her tenure as a university lifeguard, where she studied micro-electronics as an engineer. Frustrated by the lack of effective technology for swift underwater searches, Loncaric envisioned a tool that marries ease of use with rapid deployment capabilities. The result is AquaEye—the world’s first handheld sonar device integrating artificial intelligence for underwater search operations.
AquaEye’s prowess lies in its efficiency, drastically reducing search times by an impressive 87%. In describing the functionality of AquaEye, Loncaric elucidates that by placing it underwater, pulling the trigger initiates a scan covering the area of a football field in less than two minutes. This remarkable speed marks a paradigm shift in the field of underwater rescue, offering rescuers a tool that transforms hours or days of searching into a matter of minutes.
Recognizing the critical need for such innovations, Loncaric’s AquaEye has earned her a coveted spot among the five finalists in Telus’s Stand with Owners program. Roi Ross, the senior vice-president and president of small-medium business with Telus, highlighted the remarkable qualities of Carlyn Loncaric, underscoring the significance of her background and enthusiasm. Loncaric’s dedication and innovation have secured her a $125,000 grant to further develop and distribute AquaEye.
Transforming underwater rescue operations
Loncaric’s vision extends beyond the development of AquaEye. With an average of 338 drowning-related deaths per year in Canada, according to the Lifesaving Society of Canada, her commitment to making a difference is palpable. Loncaric envisions AquaEye becoming a standard tool in the hands of first responders, ensuring that the lifesaving potential of her creation reaches its maximum impact.
Loncaric fervently underscores the revolutionary impact that AquaEye wields on the landscape of rescue missions, explicitly articulating that the tool exerts a profound influence by markedly diminishing search times. This transformative capability metamorphoses endeavors that were once protracted over hours or even days into a mere span of minutes. Such a paradigm shift underscores the inherently game-changing nature of AquaEye, serving as a catalyst in the expeditious realm of underwater search and rescue operations.
The bestowed grant of $125,000 from Telus is perceived as a pivotal stride towards the realization of this visionary mission, with Loncaric ardently aspiring to proliferate the accessibility of AquaEye, ensuring its widespread availability to those valiantly positioned on the front lines of rescue operations.
A new horizon for AI underwater search
As AquaEye sets sail on a trajectory to redefine underwater search and rescue operations, one question lingers: How will this groundbreaking technology influence the global approach to water safety and emergency response? The acknowledgment and endorsement that Loncaric has amassed portend a future rife with promise for AquaEye, prompting contemplation on whether this groundbreaking innovation will indeed signify a pivotal shift in the ongoing struggle against the lamentable tide of drowning-related calamities.
