Summertime usually means a trip to the beach for most people and that usually translates to about seven thousands drowning in the waters off shore every year. Whether the life guards couldn’t reach them in time or because they simply got carried away in a wicked undertow, many could’ve easily been rescued if something like the SEASCOUT Aquatic Rescue Robot was patrolling nearby.

The idea is simple. Each swimmer wears a GPS unit which can be activated should the swimmer become in distress. The rest if up to the Seascout, which will pick up the GPS beacon and make a beeline straight for the drowing victim and scoop them up to safety.

Designed by Andre Harley, a student at the Designskolen Kolding University in Denmark, the Seascout can also be directed manually or programmed to patrol in a random fashion until needed. It contains a internal lighting, a sunroof, a radio system to call for further aid, and is painted in a bright yellow to spot easily (although international orange will probably be it’s ultimate color configuration). Harley created a concept Seascout using a radio controlled boat cut in half and a Lego MindStorms Robotic Kit.

And it’s uses go beyond beachside rescues, as SeaScouts can be deployed from ships, oil rigs, oceanliners, or anywhere else near a body of water.

Hat Tip – DVice