The U-SAFE lifesaver drone, from Portugal-based Noras Performance, is a self-propelled flotation device that rescuers can pilot to those in need of assistance. The remote-controlled device can be thrown into the water, driven to the victim and propel them back to safety.
The U-shaped design of the small craft allows the user to quickly grab ahold without the need to endanger rescue personnel by having them enter the water. Two electric, battery-powered turbines propel the device. By the company’s statistics, roughly 372,000 people drown each year, as many as 42 deaths per hour, per day.