Never Swim Alone: Apple Watch’s Drowning Alert

According to a report by Wareable, Apple has recently filed a patent for a new technology that, through the synergy of software and hardware, would enable drowning detection and automatic rescue functionalities for the Apple Watch.

The patent details show that the Apple Watch could determine whether the wearer is swimming normally by analyzing movement trajectories and biometric indicators. For example, if the wearer stops moving or starts flailing their limbs, the watch would send an SOS message to rescue agencies. Apple wrote in the patent document, “This smartwatch includes a swimming analysis application capable of assessing the wearer’s limb coordination, swimming style, and various other data. The swimming metrics and additional information collected, such as heart rate and blood oxygen levels, are fed into a machine-learning model. This model, once trained, can categorize the wearer’s behavior in water and determine whether they are in a routine activity state.” Additionally, if the wearer’s arm movements above their head do not correspond to typical swimming patterns, and combined with GPS tracking of related movement and speed, the Apple Watch might also discern that the wearer could be drowning.

Image: wareable

The patent also describes the utility of monitoring the wearer’s heart rate and blood oxygen levels, such as detecting whether a swimmer needs rescue due to a cardiac arrest during swimming. The document states, “When a swimmer is in distress (e.g., suffering from a heart attack), their underwater behavior becomes irregular. This irregular behavior will be reflected in the swimmer’s movements and other data, such as heart rate or other vital signs.” In this functionality, if the Apple Watch detects abnormal parameters, it will swiftly transmit rescue information to lifeguards, pool attendants, gym staff, parents, and others who can provide assistance.

Apple noted that in the United States, 3,500 people die from drowning each year. Although the SwimEye system uses real-time underwater video and object recognition software to detect swimmers in danger, this technology not only has high installation costs but also some operational issues, such as swimmers potentially obstructing the camera and causing false alarms. Hence, the widespread adoption of such drowning detection solutions is challenging. Apple added that this new feature could be integrated with existing solutions to provide faster response times and greater accuracy, and could also be utilized in locations where underwater systems are impractical, such as lakes or rivers.