Backpack Rats Can Be Used in Search and Rescue!

one of the scariest natural disasters earthquakesa nightmare for many of us. In these disasters, we don’t usually see buildings collapse, if not very large. But there may be people trapped under debris when they collapse. After what happened, search and rescue teams come into play and work diligently to save these people.

Now a project is underway to help not only people but also people who are stranded in the aftermath of such disasters. rats proved that it can also be used. The Belgian non-profit organization APOPO says these creatures are prepared to help search and rescue teams.

Rats can save lives by wearing backpacks

According to CNN, APOPO with high-tech backpacks equipped; so he can help emergency responders search for those trapped under the rubble, he says. Donna Kean, the leader of the project, said:Rats are very curious creatures and love to explore. This, very important in search and rescue” uses expressions.

Kean also noted that in addition to their adventurous spirits, these creatures small size and excellent sense of smell points out that it can be useful in finding things in tight spaces. According to experts, rats are already being trained in a simulated disaster area. Creatures try to locate the target person in a room, pull the button on their backpack that triggers the ‘beep’, and then to be rewarded They need to go back. Experts think that with this method, the species can be ready to be used in search and rescue.

APOPO is a tool to help emergency teams contact survivors. video camera, microphone and location transmitter Works on backpacks equipped with Dean, from the team working with the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands on this issue, emphasizes that together with the backpack and training, the breed can be very useful in search and rescue.

It should be noted that the organization has trained rats and dogs for the olfactory detection of mines and tuberculosis for over a decade. The African Rat, which has a long lifespan of eight years, was used in the programs. The new search and rescue project, on the other hand, has been trying to be implemented by the organization for years; but it officially started in April 2021.

Creatures also respond well to harsh conditions

The backpack is an engineer from the Eindhoven University of Technology. by Sander Verdeisen started to come to life with his inclusion. The first prototype was built after that. The prototype had a video camera located in a section created by 3D printing and sending live images to a computer. In this way, a high-quality version of the images was also saved to an SD card in the system.

The bag was attached to the rats by a vest made of neoprene material similar to diving suits. Verdiesen said that at first he could not understand what tiny creatures would do with this vest; however, he later said that he adapted quickly and started walking around with the bag as if nothing had happened. Experts are currently using the system by shrinking He stated that they are trying to develop it and make it suitable for disaster areas. Verdeisen, living things fit in any space says they aim to provide

As a result, we can say that the project will be of great help to search and rescue teams in earthquake disasters that we frequently encounter in our country in the future. Researchers, who said that animals are trained in 15-minute sessions five days a week, also stated that although the program is still under development, the animals respond well to different and challenging conditions. 9 to 12 months It records that it can last.

In the next phase of the training, the rats will be tested in environments that simulate multiple floors of a collapsed building and Prepare for real world scenarios.