Drowning Detection AI "SAFESWIM" to Begin Full-Scale Domestic Introduction with Social Demonstration Project in Odawara. Crowdfunding Launched on CAMPFIRE.

"Zero water-related fatalities with AI." With this mission, AI startup BloomAI Inc. (Headquarters: Fujisawa City, Kanagawa Prefecture, CEO: Naoki Nishio) is launching a social implementation project to demonstrate and introduce its drowning detection AI "SAFESWIM" at pool facilities in Odawara City, Kanagawa Prefecture. In conjunction with this, they have begun accepting support on the crowdfunding service "CAMPFIRE" until August 31, 2026. This project aims to verify for one year whether supervision that does not rely solely on human eyes can truly function in Japan, and to take the first step towards expanding its use to facilities nationwide by releasing the results.

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Background: Shortage of Lifeguards and the Limits of "Enthusiasm-Based" Supervision

In Japan, the number of deaths and missing persons due to water accidents amounts to 700-800 annually. In 2024 (Reiwa 6), there were 191 child victims of water accidents, with 28 deaths or missing persons (Source: National Police Agency "Overview of Water Accidents in 2024").

Drowning individuals do not wave their arms and shout like in movies. In many cases, they sink silently underwater without a sound or struggle (this is called the instinctive drowning response). To an observer, it can even be indistinguishable from "playing in the water," and may go unnoticed even by a lifeguard standing nearby.

Furthermore, a shortage of lifeguards is a serious issue faced by facilities nationwide. It is physically impossible for a single lifeguard to continuously watch every corner of a large body of water for hours without blinking. The current situation is not due to a lack of effort, but rather the limitations of a system that relies solely on human eyes.

What is SAFESWIM: An AI System that Detects Underwater Anomalies in Seconds

SAFESWIM is a drowning detection AI that analyzes camera footage within a pool in real-time, detects people who have stopped moving or are sinking underwater in seconds, and issues immediate alerts to lifeguards.

It utilizes proprietary technology from FortuneAI Inc., which has a track record of operation in over 40 commercial facilities, primarily in Taiwan, achieving a detection accuracy of 99.9% (*). It is designed not to "replace" lifeguards but to "reinforce" them, with humans responsible for on-site judgment and AI responsible for preventing oversights.

* Verification value in a standard indoor pool environment of 25m x 6 courses. May vary depending on facility environment.

This Challenge: A One-Year Social Demonstration in Odawara

In this project, facilities in Odawara City, Kanagawa Prefecture, will serve as the first demonstration sites for SAFESWIM. BloomAI Inc. will be responsible for the purchase of equipment and installation work, with construction starting in July 2026 and operation as a demonstration facility beginning in August.

However, the real challenge lies in the ability to conduct extensive and accurate "post-installation verification." To make AI drowning detection a "technology that can truly be used in Japan," we have developed a plan to thoroughly verify the following three points over one year of operation:

1 Enhancing Detection Accuracy and Variation: Train the AI on diverse environments such as light reflections and water surface disturbances to demonstrate detection without false positives or omissions.

2 Confirming Linkage with Alert Devices (Patlights): Verify that the system for reliably notifying on-site staff at the moment of detection operates smoothly in actual facilities.

3 Optimizing Alert Rules: Formulate operational rules based on demonstration data for "when an alert should be triggered based on a certain state lasting for a specific duration," allowing for swift action without causing panic.

There is currently very little publicly available demonstration data in Japan showing that "AI drowning detection truly functions in Japanese settings." The year in Odawara will provide one of the first answers to this question in Japan. The knowledge gained will be shared as activity reports and comprehensive reports, including both successes and challenges, to serve as material for facilities and local governments nationwide to make informed decisions about adoption.

Crowdfunding Overview

We want to run this one-year demonstration not alone, but together with society, to achieve our mission of "zero water-related fatalities." With this desire, we have launched support recruitment on CAMPFIRE. The funds received will be used as additional operational funds (for supplementary on-site operation) to carry out the one-year demonstration in the best possible condition. BloomAI will bear the full cost of equipment, installation, and normal operation, and the funds raised will be allocated as additional demonstration testing costs and marketing costs for this initiative.

Project Name

Zero water-related fatalities with AI. - Please support us in improving and expanding drowning detection accuracy.

Platform

CAMPFIRE

Target Amount

600,000 yen

Funding Method

All-In (All returns will be fulfilled even if the target is not met)

Campaign Period

Until August 31, 2026, 23:59

Returns

8 tiers ranging from 500 yen to 300,000 yen (Activity Report / Results Report / Online Briefing Session / Name/Logo Display / Launch Party Invitation, etc.)

Project URL

https://camp-fire.jp/projects/958440/

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Future Development

This project extends beyond the safety measures of a single facility. Based on the success case and public demonstration data from Odawara, we are proceeding with plans to expand to a second and third facility/municipality.

For the overall business, we plan a minimum of three years of demonstration and operation for accuracy improvement and functional expansion, with this being the first phase (one year). An interim report is scheduled for February 2027, and the first phase results report for the summer of 2027.

CEO's Comment

A single water accident can lead to the closure of local waterfronts. Facilities decrease, opportunities to interact with water are lost, and jobs related to water disappear. Before we know it, the "culture of playing in water" itself fades from Japan—we don't want that to happen, and that is our starting point.

We believe that protecting safety is protecting culture. And protecting culture is a gift to the next generation. Towards a society where everyone, from children to adults, can enjoy water with peace of mind.

We, who understand the field, will move forward together with you. We ask for your support.

— Naoki Nishio, CEO, BloomAI Inc.

Company Overview

An AI startup with the mission to "Zero water-related fatalities with AI." Our core business is the development and provision of the drowning detection AI "SAFESWIM." By combining the on-site knowledge of our group company "BLUE POWER Inc.," which has been involved in lifeguard and water safety management in Japan for over 20 years, with the AI image analysis technology of Taiwan's FortuneAI Inc. and network cameras from VIVOTEK Inc., we support the establishment of safety management systems with "zero oversights."

Company Name

BloomAI Inc.

Location

Noble Shonan 301, 5-1-21 Tsujido, Fujisawa City, Kanagawa Prefecture, 251-0047

Representative

Naoki Nishio, CEO

Established

September 2025

Business Activities

Sales of drowning detection AI system "SAFESWIM"

Service Site

http://safeswim.bloomaijapan.com/