Disaster relief technology borrowed from space – now. Powered by Northrop Grumman

When people are trapped under debris without access to fresh air or water, timing is critical. In disaster scenarios such as earthquakes, floods, terrorist attacks or the collapse of local infrastructure, survivors and rescue workers deal with precarious scenes, often without the aid of communication networks. Disaster relief technology can find survivors in time.

When hazards like tsunami and wildfire get out of hand, they turn into disasters that can turn a peaceful site into something like a war zone. While military commanders use advanced intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) technology, the same technology can be applied to aid in disaster situations.

bird eye view

Autonomous planes can fly over disaster areas to collect images and data that rescue teams can use to determine how to proceed.

For example, Northrop Grumman’s Global Hawk provides views of disaster areas without exposing people to undue risk. This autonomous aircraft system is designed to fly at high altitudes for long hours without being piloted. In the defense industry, Global Hawk provides field commanders with real-time ISR over vast tracts of land, collecting high-resolution images via infrared cameras that can “see” through clouds and bad weather, day and night. In addition to intelligence, Global Hawk fleets have also supported air and ground users with communications transmission support. Likewise, the same aircraft can be used as a disaster relief technology.

After a devastating earthquake in Haiti in 2010, Global Hawk monitored damaged airports to find safe landing sites for relief planes. Rescuers also used videos from Global Hawk observations to compare before and after photos of the area to identify areas of need and plan clear routes to reach those locations.

A year later, the US Air Force Global Hawks helped survey damage and perform relief missions during the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, notably providing views of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant without risking potential exposure to human radiation.

In addition, a new aircraft called the Firebird can provide similar assistance. It is a medium-altitude aircraft designed to be uniquely affordable and flexible. Pilots can fly this aircraft and then quickly transform it into a drone, for example, in order to stay in the air longer and approach dangerous areas to gather information.

heartbeat away

While aircraft and satellite imagery such as NOAA’s Satellite-Assisted Tracking System for Search and Rescue (SARSAT) provide overhead views, smaller drones such as popular recreational drones can be used to get a closer look at the situation. Earth robots can also obtain more detailed information without endangering humans.

Some disaster relief technologies are not as flashy as a robot but can be very effective. When a violent earthquake hit Nepal in 2015, a suitcase-sized device saved four men. The device, called FINDER, which stands for searching for personnel for disaster and emergency response, works using a similar approach that NASA uses to monitor distant planets. It sends a signal out and then infers information about the unknown object based on how the signal changes when it bounces. In this way, the technology identifies subtle distortions that humans cannot detect, such as the curvature of a signal when it encounters a galactic object. Similarly, Finder sent out a microwave signal that detected the heartbeat of survivors in Nepal, even though the men were buried under about 10 feet of bricks, mud, wood and other debris.

Strengthening the Humanitarian Aid Toolkit in Disasters

Rescue aid workers continue to use traditional tools such as listening devices, cameras and dogs that are trained to identify survivors. Over time, they are also adding new disaster relief technology to their toolkits. With each new technological improvement, lives are saved.

Are you interested in everything related to technology? we too. Check out Northrop Grumman’s Career Opportunities to see how you can participate in this wonderful time of discovery.

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