The WAVE Project launched

The WAVE project has been launched and is in its first period of execution. It stands as a pioneering project in water rescue scenarios, merging Virtual Reality (VR), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Unreal Engine with Maltese rescue scenarios. This initiative, under the direction of Prof. Matthew Montebello from the Department of AI at the Faculty of ICT, leverages AI with modern technologies to create and distribute immersive rescue scenarios aiming to enhance “lifeguards training processes” in Malta. The project is funded by Xjenza Malta and the Malta Digital Innovation Authority through the Digital Technologies Programme 2025.

The WAVE project addresses the growing need for advanced water rescue training in Malta, particularly in response to recent water-related incidents and the country’s heavy reliance on coastal safety operations. The platform is designed as an immersive virtual reality training system that enables lifeguards and water rescue personnel to engage with realistic, location-specific rescue scenarios modelled on Maltese beaches. Through these simulations, trainees are required to identify drowning victims, determine appropriate rescue procedures, and complete structured assessment questions that evaluate decision-making and situational awareness.

A central component of WAVE is its instructor-controlled simulation environment. Trainers are provided with tools to dynamically adjust weather conditions and environmental variables, allowing scenarios to reflect a wide range of real-world rescue situations. This capability ensures that trainees are exposed to complex and challenging conditions within a controlled and safe training space, supporting progressive skill development prior to deployment in live rescue operations.

Ethical correctness and operational accuracy are core design principles of the WAVE platform. All rescue scenarios and associated assessment content are subject to mandatory validation by qualified water rescue instructors before inclusion in the system. This human-in-the-loop review process ensures that the training material adheres to professional standards, aligns with established rescue protocols, and avoids the propagation of potentially harmful inaccuracies within the simulation environment.

During the current phase of execution, progress has been registered in the development and internal testing of early WAVE prototypes. These initial versions are being evaluated to assess technical feasibility, realism, and instructional effectiveness. The next phase of the project will involve structured testing with lifeguard personnel, during which qualitative and quantitative feedback will be collected to inform further refinement of the platform.

WAVE’s long-term objective is to become an integral component of lifeguard and water rescue training programmes in Malta. By combining immersive virtual environments with instructor oversight and ethical safeguards, the platform aims to enhance preparedness and decision-making capabilities among trainees, ultimately contributing to improved safety outcomes on Maltese beaches.