(Just want to see the robot? There's a video in the result section!)

    The motivation for this project stems from the absence of any reliable/dependable safety precautions/installations
    for at home pool use. Drowning is the third most common cause of accidental death in the United States. The Center
    for Disease Control estimates that an average of 3,536 fatal accidental drownings, unrelated to boating, occurred
    each year from 2005-2014.

    Pool monitoring cameras and software exist and are available for purchase by large organizations, such as community
    pools, but are often expensive installations involving both surface, as well as submerged cameras. These systems
    also require constant monitoring of a CCTV stream to be effective in preventing accidental death or injury. DORI
    addresses many of the drawbacks of these expensive systems and is best applied for home use in pools where it is
    easily deployable, requires no installation, and notifies supervisors immediately of an emergency.

    Drowning is so pervasive as a cause of accidental death because it is difficult to detect and respond in time to
    save its victims. Victim’s behavior is often very difficult to distinguish from the act of treading water. Victims
    often struggle silently to keep their head above the water while quickly losing energy and sinking. It is very
    uncommon for a victim to be able to flail, scream, or shout for help while in distress. In the absence of any
    lifeguard trained to recognize this type of behavior, consumers with home pools are at an especially great risk of
    an accidental death by drowning occurring at their home.

    DORI locates and monitors the motion of swimmers underwater using a time of flight depth sensing camera and an
    ultrasonic sonar array. The sensors provide DORI with a 360 degree field of view. DORI then rotates to center any
    distressed swimmers. An algorithm determines whether a swimmer is in distress while in the field of view of the
    camera. The local single board computer performs video processing. A surface hub connects to DORI over a
    peer-to-peer network. If DORI registers an individual in distress, it sends an alert to the hub which then emits an
    alarm sound and red warning light on the pool deck. BLE is also enabled on the surface hub for future app
    development, allowing notifications directly to the user’s smartphone.

    Testing was successfully performed to verify functionality of various subsystems,
    specifically the waterproof enclosure, sensors, and reporting components. We drilled a hole in the enclosure and
    fed a cable through it via a cable gland. By placing a simple LED circuit in the enclosure it was shown that the
    enclosure could be submerged underwater with neither leaks nor damage to the electronics. The Kinect’s ability to
    detect and determine the status of a swimmer was verified by setting up the Kinect to look through a container of
    water surrounded by a transparent barrier. Lastly, DORI’s reporting component was tested by using the raspberry pi
    and a host computer.

    Upon completion, DORI is ideally utilized in private pools as a robust yet compact system that allows owners to
    provide their family and friends with a safe swimming environment.