New Technology Devised to Detect Heartbeats of Survivors in Rubble

A new radar-based technology, Finding Individuals for Disaster and Emergency Response or FINDER, has been devised by the Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate, Washington, and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, which will  help rescue teams in quickly locating trapped survivors under shattered buildings in times of disasters. This device is  time saving and will enhance the chances of survival.   

FINDER can detect a human heartbeat buried 30 feet (9 meters) under crushed material, hidden behind 20 feet (6 meters) of solid concrete and from a distance of 100 feet (30 meters) in open space.

Many FINDER prototypes were tested and developed in the past several months by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). DHS along with first responders and two Urban Search and Rescue teams conducted above 65 test searches using a model. The two Urban Search and Rescue teams were the Virginia Task Force 1 at the Fairfax County Fire Department training center and the Virginia Task Force 2 in Virginia Beach, Va.

"Testing proved successful in locating a task force member buried in 30 feet of mixed concrete, rebar and gravel rubble from a distance of over 30 feet," John Price, DHS Science and Technology program manager, said in a press release.

"This capability will complement the current urban search and rescue tools such as canines, listening devices and video cameras to detect the presence of living victims in rubble," Price added.

The only shortcoming FINDER has is that it is unable to send back proper radar signals during tornadoes and earthquakes because of the debris from the calamities

"Isolating the relatively weak signal of a heartbeat within the noisy signals becomes a difficult task," said Edward Chow, JPL program manager. "JPL's radar expertise helps in this challenge."

Advanced data processing systems are used by the JPL to detect faint signals. Microwave radar technology is used, which is capable of distinguishing the unique signature of a human's breathing pattern and heartbeat from that of other living creatures like rats. This technology would aid first responders in quickly determining if any living being whether conscious or unconscious is present in the debris. This would help the responders to take the required action and ensure the safety of the survivors.

"It is anticipated that a commercialized technology could be ready for search and rescue operations as early as spring 2014," Price said. 

Various changes are being implemented and a new version of the device is being created. The changes include an improved battery life of 14 hours and a modified user interface.

The electronic and mechanical design has a lightweight sensing module core that uses a USB interface to integrate an antenna, digital processing and radar electronics.

"This module is the key to future miniaturization and the use of FINDER sensing technology in other applications," said James Lux, task manager for the FINDER project at JPL.

These applications comprise installing FINDER on proposed search and rescue robots, like JPL's Urbie, on stretchers or ambulances to monitor the heartbeat of the patients and in biology research to differentiate species.

The research partners are still putting in efforts trying to devise a final prototype, which will be more specific in determining the presence of a victim in the exact location in the rubble.