Insight
The national coastguard receives 3,000 calls each year, and time is crucial for every case. An oversight of all current maritime activity would allow these search and rescue teams to arrive earlier to the emergencies, and this would save more lives.
Idea
Boat users log their trips to an app before they set off, which then records their locations every 30 minutes. Machine learning is then used to analyse this data in conjunction with real-time weather and swell information and other metrics, to create a visual model of all current and future boat positions, including advance details of any anticipated emergencies.
Impact
The app was quickly downloaded over 10,000 times, and is increasingly popular with boat users, with thousands of trips now being logged each month. It’s making a profound impact to New Zealand’s rescue management and water safety, and its predictive model offers potential to help other organisations that are involved in rescue and safety.
AKQA is a design and innovation company that employs over 6,500 professionals across 20 countries. Named Digital Agency Global Network of the Year in Campaign’s 2023 Global Agency of the Year Awards, AKQA was also awarded the Cannes Lions Grand Prix for Digital Craft in 2023, and the Grand Prix for Design in 2021. In 2023, AKQA was recognised as a winner in Fast Company’s Innovation by Design Awards. AKQA also won Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas in 2021, and 2022 and led Gartner’s research into global marketing agencies in 2021.