AIpowered 'flying life ring' showcased in Hangzhou

(ECNS) -- An AI-powered “flying life ring” capable of autonomously reaching people in the water, keeping them afloat and returning to shore was demonstrated Aug. 6 at Xianghu Lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian recently shared footage of the device on social media, calling it technology that could help save lives.

During the drill, the orange ring flew from shore to a person in the water, shut down its propellers after landing, provided buoyancy, then took off again and returned to its starting point. Developed by Hangzhou police, the device uses autonomous navigation.

Other equipment demonstrated included drones that can drop inflatable life rings and an unmanned rescue boat that works with a drone to locate and bring people back to shore. Hangzhou police said the technologies are intended to shorten critical response times in water emergencies.

(By Intern Yang Hongran, Zhang Dongfang)