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Podcasts Take Two
NASA tests new disaster recovery device that tracks human heartbeats
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Sep 25, 2013
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NASA tests new disaster recovery device that tracks human heartbeats
When a building or structure collapses and traps people beneath the rubble, one of the toughest things for rescue crews to do is to find survivors.
Rubble in a building collapse in Syria.
Rubble in a building collapse in Syria.
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AFP/AFP/Getty Images
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When a building or structure collapses and traps people beneath the rubble, one of the toughest things for rescue crews to do is to find survivors.

This week, at least 355 people died when a 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit Pakistan. Rescue crews continue to search for survivors trapped in the rubble. The first and often most challenging step in recovering people from such situations is determining whether there is anyone to rescue.

A new device called the FINDER developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory aims to help by detecting heart beats underneath huge piles of rubble. The devices designer JPL's Jim Lux.