Alligator attacks spur Florida tech group to develop detection system

A deadly alligator attack in Winter Garden is raising questions about how to improve public safety around Florida’s waterways, as a South Florida technology group develops a system designed to detect alligators and crocodiles before people get too close.The system, called Croc Alarm, is being developed by Miami-based WildlifeOS. It is designed to use sonar imaging and artificial intelligence to identify alligators and crocodiles beneath the water’s surface and provide real-time warnings to people nearby.The proposed technology comes amid renewed concerns about encounters with the reptiles in Florida, where alligators are common in lakes, ponds, canals and other waterways.A deadly alligator attack in Winter Garden this month shocked the local community. In June, a fishing trip involving a father and son in Marion County also turned dangerous when an alligator attacked, prompting the father to try to pry the animal’s jaws open.[RELATED: How many alligators are in Florida? The state once