Future Apple Watches may have a feature that alerts nearby users if the person using the device is drowning. According to a new patent filing, the Cupertino-based tech giant is developing a feature that uses sensors in smartwatches to detect “erratic behavior” when the user is swimming and in distress underwater. Notably, a recent report claims that the Apple Watch Series 10 may feature an improved display that will extend battery life.
In a patent application filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Apple shared details of how the feature works and emphasized the need for such a feature. The tech giant said in its filing that 3,500 people die from drowning every year in the United States alone. Apple called it the “fifth leading cause of accidental death in the country” and said there was a need for drowning prevention systems.
However, the company’s proposed feature does not introduce new sensors to detect drownings among users. Instead, it uses the Apple Watch’s existing sensors to interpret data when the user may be lost underwater. According to the patent application, this primary trigger is an inertial sensor that detects whether the swimmer’s head, arms or torso are in a position that indicates erratic behavior.
This data is compared with the Apple Watch’s heart rate sensor or blood oxygen sensor to determine if the user’s heart rate suddenly increases or the VO2 Max value suddenly drops. This may indicate that the user drowned. The data from the sensors is processed by special machine learning algorithms to predict whether the user is actually drowning.
If it determines that the user is at risk of drowning, Apple Watch can send an alert not only to emergency service providers, but also to nearby users and lifeguards. The company also highlighted that the system can pass along similar alerts if a child accidentally goes too deep while swimming in a pool. Please note that this feature is currently pending as a patent application. It’s not clear whether Apple will patent the technology or when Apple Watch devices will have a drowning alarm feature.