RipViz is a hybrid machine learning and flow analysis tool designed to detect dangerous rip currents in stationary videos, helping to make them easier for the public and lifeguards to identify.
By using optical flow to analyze pixel movement over time and employing an LSTM autoencoder to spot anomalies in the flow, RipViz effectively distinguishes rip currents from normal ocean movement.
The tool provides clear visualizations of rip current locations directly onto the video, and initial feedback from experts indicates that it could be beneficial for broader applications in beach safety.