SafeSwim: Overhead vision to help people see better

Traditionally video surveillance consists of overhead cameras to help authorities such as lifeguards or security professionals monitor individuals. This monitoring, if in service of the monitored individuals, serves them only indirectly. More recently, a new kind of sensing called "sousveillance" has emerged, as a form of sensing by, and in direct service to, individuals. In this paper, we explore an overhead camera (e.g. aerial drone-based videography) to help create a form of real-time seeing aid, with specific application to help one or more individual swimmers see better and navigate, e.g. to avoid collisions with other swimmers (or the walls) in pools, as well as navigating in lakes, rivers, and other bodies of open water. Additionally the system can be used to teach swimming (e.g. learn by seeing from a birds-eyeview) as well as to gamify swim-based activities. SafeSwim (and sousveillance in general) is a new form of "seeing" in which those being watched have direct visual access to the live video stream. It is a direct departure from traditional surveillance where authorities such as police or lifeguards watch individuals without giving them direct access to a live video stream.