A start-up co-founder Craig Anderson has come up with a shark attack mitigation system in the form of a product called Clever Buoy, which is able to detect sharks and warn lifesavers of their presence in bathing areas.
The Perth-based Shark Attack Mitigation Systems business has developed Clever Buoy with the help of Google and Optus (A POTUS). The company has used a process from the oil and gas industry to develop new software that recognises sharks through sonar based on their swimming patterns.
The alert will be delivered by satellite to the shore when the Clever Buoy detects a shark, according to an interview with StartupSmart.
The start-up plans to run a commercial trial next summer in Australia and hopes to make its Clever Buoy prototype commercially available by 2015.
The start-up is based in Perth, Western Australia, which has seen a high number of shark attacks and is known as the “deadliest coast in the world”. The plan is for Google+ to use the system to alert people about the presence of sharks at certain locations.
It’s amazing how these start-up entrepreneurs are turning this problem or challenge into an opportunity.
But early warning and detection systems remind us about the need to have such systems in small businesses. What early detection systems are required to give you an early warning about a potential problem in your small business or start-up?
The type of early detection systems would depend on the nature of your business. You would need something different if you were in retail or perishable goods or if you had a lot of cash transactions or even if you were running an online business.
Here are some early detection systems that small business owners, start-ups and entrepreneurs may consider:
- The need to monitor your cash payments for possible fraud. A middle-age woman recently stole large amounts of cash for several years from a small business. It happens all the time.
- Surveillance if you have high value stock
- Monitoring of perishable stock such as fresh fruit and vegetables or in a garden nursery (plants, flowers, shrubs)
- Outside surveillance for criminals and armed robbers
- Early warning system for your cash flow, especially when times are tight
- Monitoring of sales, which could be falling for certain products or customer segments
- Stock control systems to reduce or eliminate “shrinkage”
These are just a few surveillance systems required depending on the nature of a small business. Each business needs surveillance systems that are specific to their business.
Like the swimmers who understandably want to know if a beach is teeming with sharks on the prowl, you want to be aware of the dangers that may lurk unseen in your business. An unexpected bite could be fatal.
