UAV-Video-Based Rip Current Detection in Nearshore Areas

Rip currents pose a significant danger to those who visit beaches, as they can swiftly pull swimmers away from shore. Detecting these currents currently relies on costly equipment and is challenging to implement on a larger scale. The advent of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and camera technology, however, has made monitoring near-shore regions more accessible and scalable. This paper proposes a new framework for detecting rip currents using video-based methods that leverage optical flow estimation, offshore direction calculation, and temporal data fusion techniques. Through the analysis of videos from multiple beaches, including Palm Beach, Haulover, Ocean Reef Park, and South Beach, as well as YouTube footage, we demonstrate the efficacy of our approach, which aligns with human experts' annotations.