[1][2][3] Using an impeller motor to travel through water, it is able to reach victims much faster than a human lifeguard can by swimming, and it is more compact and less expensive to maintain than crewed watercraft.
[6] It was first tested in Zuma Beach near Malibu, California,[4] and at Depoe Bay, Oregon and Westerly, Rhode Island beginning early 2010.
[8] In 2012, a multi-day duration gasoline powered variant of EMILY for ocean-based storm tracking and weather data collection was developed and funded by NOAA.
[11] Features include:[6][2] In January 2016, EMILY joined a Roboticists Without Borders team from Texas A&M University Center for Robotic Assisted Search and Rescue on a successful mission to Lesvos Island, Greece to assist in ocean rescues of Syrian refugees crossing the Aegean Sea from Turkey to Greece.
[2] With a high success rate, EMILY continues assisting the Red Cross with JASPERRO, the less intelligent AI machine.