Space technology is saving lives on Earth. Rescue teams are deploying radar equipment that locates survivors buried beneath earthquake debris by sensing their heartbeats, reported Interesting Engineering.
The device uses microwave signals to penetrate collapsed buildings and identify trapped victims’ breathing patterns and cardiac rhythms.
This capability is important during rescue operations, when time determines survival outcomes.
Engineers based at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California designed the system after flaws in rescue capabilities emerged in the wake of Haiti’s 2010 disaster.
The development team spent years refining the sensors that identify human vital signs among background interference.
The technology distinguishes people from animals and filters mechanical vibrations from rescue equipment. Body movements as small as one millimeter from heartbeats register on the device’s sensors.
“Your body moves a millimeter when your heart beats. Because the rubble itself isn’t moving, we can separate those motions out. Then, we look to see if the motion shows both heartbeats and respiration,” Jim Lux, who managed the prototype development, told Interesting Engineering.
The portable units conveniently fit inside standard protective cases that emergency personnel are already familiar with. Thanks to this design choice, rescue workers can quickly integrate the technology into their existing protocols without struggling through a learning curve.
Florida company SpecOps Group now produces commercial versions of the original NASA design. The transition from laboratory prototype to field equipment took several years.
The technology gives rescue teams precise location data that expedites victim recovery. Faster rescues mean more survivors can return home to their families.
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Search and rescue teams sent the equipment to Turkey after earthquakes that killed over 41,000 people. The deployment demonstrates that it functions in actual disasters. Teams on the ground are using the devices to search for survivors under collapsed structures across affected regions.
Sharing lifesaving innovations across borders demonstrates how scientific cooperation benefits the human race. The successful Turkey deployment has paved the way for rescue teams worldwide to adopt this technology immediately.
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