BrainChip has collaborated with Arquimea to create an innovative AI-powered detection solution aimed at improving water safety.

This cutting-edge solution leverages BrainChip’s Akida processor and Prophesee’s event-based Metavision camera mounted on low-power drones to detect individuals in distress in the water such as swimmers and surfers. The Akida processor processes vision data directly without the need to convert it into traditional frame-based formats, resulting in enhanced efficiency and reduced latency.

This revolutionary system enables quicker detection, lower power consumption, improved tracking capabilities, and decreased computational and memory requirements compared to traditional methods. The primary goal of this technology is to support lifeguards in monitoring large beach areas, enhancing search and rescue operations, and ultimately saving lives.

Jonathan Tapson, Chief Development Officer of BrainChip, stated, “The aim of event-based vision solution providers has always been to achieve faster and more accurate object detection with significantly fewer memory and computation requirements. By combining BrainChip’s Akida with Prophesee’s event-based vision systems, we can efficiently process drone data, reducing latency for quicker detection while also minimizing power consumption, providing companies like ARQUIMEA with unprecedented advantages. We are proud to see our technology being utilized in such a critical life-saving application.”

BrainChip’s Akida emulates the human brain, analyzing crucial sensor inputs directly on the chip, independently from the cloud, which enhances privacy and energy efficiency.

This deployment illustrates how event-driven, neuromorphic computing at the device edge, particularly on lightweight, power-efficient drones, can deliver ultra-low-latency inferencing and high energy efficiency in search and rescue scenarios.