Technical innovations aid against formidable rubble in Taiwan
Yuan-Ming Chiao
As rescue teams continued their efforts beyond the critical 48 hours following Saturday’s Kaohsiung Meinong Earthquake, new technical aids were deployed to bolster on-the-ground manpower. These technologies have been critical in the successful search and rescue of those trapped, including Lee Chung-tian, who was trapped for nearly 60 hours in the rubble and was freed by intricate excavation methods.
For instance, a team from Tainan’s National Cheng Kung University Department of Geomatics Laboratory of Cyber-city used collated images and movie clips to build a three-dimensional model of the Weiguan Jinlong complex, where more than 100 remain trapped. Access to the model has been linked to the National Science and Technology Centre for Disaster Reduction) to aid in existing search and rescue by means of mapping the building’s collapse. This would present valuable information and analytics to ground personnel on the building’s layout before and after the quake for them to locate possible survivors. With 3D imaging, the model can be rotated with options for zooming in and out of the building image.
In addition, the Army has deployed the “Eyeball,” a ball-shaped device equipped with sensors and cameras originally designed for close-quarter combat and special ops. The device, the approximate size of a softball, can be deployed by rescue personnel in hard-to-reach areas and be controlled remotely in order to provide information on life signs in an area. Panoramic images of where the Eyeball is deployed (taken either by its standard or infrared cameras), as well as audio, can then be transmitted onscreen to rescue personnel.
The unit is also encased in rugged material, which makes it durable enough to be thrown or rolled as far as 50 metres with hard landings on concrete, debris and through windows. The Eyeball can also be deployed to operate in low-light or nighttime conditions.
Rescue teams from Nantou County, meanwhile, have formed an eight-person squad equipped with equipment using heat, radar and infrared sensors in order to mitigate the difficulties of search operations during nighttime. They were able to locate a trapped woman in the G-building of the Weiguan complex on Sunday.
The Army has currently deployed 312 ground personnel to the disaster site, which includes 62 support vehicles (plus 11 ambulances). An additional 11 teams totaling 45 personnel are dedicated to rescue and medical aid.