Smart wristband system that facilitates search and rescue in earthquakes and similar emergencies

Abstract

The invention is related to a low-cost and universal smart wristband system designed to be used in emergency situations such as earthquakes, mine collapses, plane and train accidents, facilitating the identification of living or non-living individuals got trapped under the debris or mine collapses, thus enabling more effective and organized use of the limited number of search and rescue personnel and search and rescue equipment, as well as the limited time available, and consequently enabling the rescue of more disaster victims and accident victims alive in a short time.

Description

[0001] SMART WRISTBAND SYSTEM THAT FACILITATES SEARCH AND RESCUE IN EARTHQUAKES AND SIMILAR EMERGENCIES

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The invention is related to a low-cost and universal smart wristband system designed to be used in emergency situations such as earthquakes, mine collapses, plane and train accidents, facilitating the identification of living or nonliving individuals got trapped under the debris or mine collapses, thus enabling more effective and organized use of the limited number of search and rescue personnel and search and rescue equipment, as well as the limited time available, and consequently enabling the rescue of more disaster victims and accident victims alive in a short time.

[0004] PRIOR ART

[0005] Our country is located on the Alpine-Himalayan earthquake belt, one of the most important earthquake belts of the world, and accordingly, there are many active faults in the geography of our country. This causes our country to be among the countries with high earthquake risk such as Japan, India, Greece, Italy, Mexico and similar countries. August 17, 1999 Gdlcuk earthquake and February 6, 2023 Kahramanmara§ earthquake were two of the worst earthquakes in Turkey and tens of thousands of people were got trapped under the debris and lost their lives in these earthquakes. Most of the people who lost their lives were not killed during the earthquake, but were killed under the debris because they could not be reached in time. The main reason for the failure to reach the survivors under the debris in time is the limited number of search and rescue teams and equipment available, the collapse of the communication infrastructure and time constraints. Time is of the utmost importance in search and rescue operations, and the fastest detection of live individuals under the debris and the fastest determination of their location under the debris is required. This is because individuals under debris are exposed to hunger, thirst and outdoor conditions such as freezing cold, especially in winter, as well as physical and mental trauma. The same applies to mining accidents. Timely rescue of mine workers trapped in mine collapses is of great importance, but limited resources and limited time come into play here as well, leading to the loss of lives of those trapped in mine collapses.

[0006] The high costs of the technologies developed for search and rescue, the fact that these technologies require a team of trained specialists, and the limited number of professional people who can be utilized in search and rescue operations are among the biggest problems in search and rescue operations. In very large natural disasters, such as the Kahramanmara§ earthquake on February 6, 2023, and in cases where there are thousands of debris, it is not possible to reach all the debris at the same time and determine whether there are any living individuals under the rubble.

[0007] To mention some of the technologies that are utilized in search and rescue operations in debris and are available in the current state of the art, one of them is acoustic sensors. These sensors are used to detect the voices of individuals under debris. Another application is the use of thermal cameras. Due to their characteristics, these cameras are able to detect hot spots under the debris and detect people's body temperature. This allows the location of trapped individuals to be identified. However, too many obstacles between the thermal camera and the person under the debris make it difficult to detect the person. In addition, it is only possible to insert this equipment into the debris to a certain extent. Another application used in search and rescue operations is radar and ultrasound devices. This equipment overcomes the disadvantage of a thermal imaging camera, making it more possible to identify the trapped person despite the intervening debris material. However, this technology is very expensive and it is not possible to use enough equipment for large demolitions with thousands of debris. In addition, the use of this equipment requires a team of trained specialists. Another technological application used in the current state of the art is drones. Drones can be equipped with high-resolution cameras or thermal cameras to guide search and rescue teams, but these drones can only be used for surface scans, not for scanning under debris.

[0008] Some studies have been carried out on the subject and in a national patent document numbered TR 2023 / 000609, a product titled “CRAWLER ROBOT THAT PROVIDES SOUND AND SIGNAL TRACKING UNDER DEBRIS” is mentioned. Here, it refers to a robot with tracks that allow it to move through the debris, a motor that provides movement to the tracks, antennas and sensors used in sound and signal exchange, a microcontroller that enables the processing of the received signals, and a body that contains all the elements. The robot is sent into the debris and while moving through the debris, it scans and tracks the voice and signal of the disaster victims. It is not possible for the robot described here to reach everywhere in the debris and this study falls short of creating a complete solution.

[0009] Thus, the need to eliminate such shortcomings and disadvantages of the embodiments and practices employed in the prior art entails an improvement in the respective technical field.

[0010] AIM OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The present disclosure relates to a smart wristband system that facilitates search and rescue operations in case of earthquakes and other emergencies developed for eliminating the aforementioned disadvantages and providing new advantages to the respective technical field.

[0012] The aim of the invention is to ensure that living and non-living individuals trapped under the debris in earthquakes and similar emergencies can be quickly and easily identified while standing over the debris.

[0013] Another aim of the invention is to ensure that the limited number of search and rescue teams and equipment can be used effectively in a limited time by enabling the rapid and easy identification of living and non-living individuals trapped under the debris in earthquakes and similar emergencies while standing over the debris.

[0014] Other aim of the invention is to reach the survivors trapped under the debris as quickly as possible and increase their chances of survival by using the limited number of search and rescue teams and equipment effectively in a limited time.

[0015] Another aim of the invention is to prioritize the survivors of the individuals trapped under the debris in search and rescue operations, and then to reach the individuals who have lost their lives.

[0016] Another aim of the invention is to enable all people standing at the debris to identify living and non-living individuals under the debris without the need for specialized search and rescue teams.

[0017] Another aim of the invention is to make it possible to identify individuals under the debris even if they subsequently faint and are unable to communicate with their surroundings.

[0018] Another aim of the invention is to ensure that living and non-living individuals recovered from the debris can be easily identified in the hospitals and morgues where they are sent.

[0019] Another aim of the invention is to provide a system that is much more cost- effective, simple and usable by everyone compared to current search and rescue technologies.

[0020] The structural and characteristic features of the present disclosure, including all of its advantages, will be more clearly understood when the detailed description given below is read, and thus, the present disclosure should be evaluated by taking this detailed description into consideration. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] The preferred alternatives of the system of present disclosure, which are mentioned in this detailed description, are only intended for providing a better understanding of the subject-matter, and should not be construed in any restrictive sense.

[0022] The invention is related to a low-cost and universal smart wristband system designed to be used in emergency situations such as earthquakes, mine collapses, plane and train accidents, facilitating the identification of living or nonliving individuals got trapped under the debris or mine collapses, thus enabling more effective and organized use of the limited number of search and rescue personnel and search and rescue equipment, as well as the limited time available, and consequently enabling the rescue of more disaster victims and accident victims alive in a short time.

[0023] The system of the invention includes generally at least one temperature sensor to measure the body temperature of the individual under debris and the ambient temperature of the individual, at least one pulse sensor to measure the heart rate, i.e. the pulse, of the individual under the debris, at least one microprocessor to process and evaluate the data from the temperature and pulse sensors to decide whether the individual is alive or not and to generate an output signal in line with this decision, at least one loudspeaker to broadcast different sounds depending on whether the person is alive or not, including information about whether the person is alive or not, the identity information of the person and the ID number specific to the wristband used by the person, in line with the output signal from the microprocessor, at least one battery to provide electrical power to the sensors, microprocessor and loudspeaker, at least one wristband with at least one pin pulled by the person under debris and worn on the wrist of the person under debris to activate the battery and consequently the sensors, microprocessor and loudspeaker and to open the protection that protects the loudspeaker against dust and dirt, at least one mobile application that is activated by detecting the sound broadcast made from the loudspeaker in the wristband, displays the information in the sound broadcast to the user through an interface, including the distance and depth information of the source of the sound broadcast, enables a more precise location calculation by pairing two or three mobile devices with each other in order to detect the source of the sound broadcast in the most precise way, and is executed on a smartphone or similar mobile device.

[0024] The person under the debris pulls the pin on his / her wristband to make the wristband work. Each wristband has a unique ID number. Heat sensors measure the body temperature of the person under the debris and the ambient temperature of the person. The heart rate, i.e. the pulse rate of the person under the debris, is measured with the pulse sensor. According to all the measurement data obtained, the microprocessor determines whether the body is alive or dead and generates an output signal accordingly. Information on whether the person is alive or not, the person's identity information and the ID number specific to the wristband are broadcast by the loudspeaker as an audio signal, using a separate audio signal for living bodies and for non-living bodies. A mobile application is installed on the mobile devices of the people who are standing at the debris, and in the interface opened in this mobile application, the location of the ID number transmitted by audio broadcast from the wristband is displayed as a point, with distance and depth marked. For a more precise determination of this location, two or three mobile devices are paired through this mobile application and the data from these mobile devices are calculated to make a more precise determination. People who start using the wristband can enter the mobile application with the ID number of the wristband and save their identity information in the ID number of the wristband. In this way, the ID number of the wristband and the identity information of the individual under the debris are visible during rescue. As long as the wristband is not removed after the rescue, the identity information of the rescued person can be easily accessed in the hospitals to which they are referred. Since the wristband will emit a different sound signal for non-living bodies, living individuals are given priority during rescue operations, and after the rescue operations are over, the process of reaching the non-living bodies waiting under the debris begins.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A low-cost and universal smart wristband system designed to be used in emergency situations such as earthquakes, mine collapses, plane and train accidents, facilitating the identification of living or non-living individuals got trapped under the debris or mine collapses, thus enabling more effective and organized use of the limited number of search and rescue personnel and search and rescue equipment, as well as the limited time available, and consequently enabling the rescue of more disaster victims and accident victims alive in a short time, characterized in that it includes:- at least one temperature sensor to measure the body temperature of the individual under debris and the ambient temperature of the individual, at least one pulse sensor to measure the heart rate, i.e. the pulse, of the individual under the debris, at least one microprocessor to process and evaluate the data from the temperature and pulse sensors to decide whether the individual is alive or not and to generate an output signal in line with this decision, at least one loudspeaker to broadcast different sounds depending on whether the person is alive or not, including information about whether the person is alive or not, the identity information of the person and the ID number specific to the wristband used by the person, in line with the output signal from the microprocessor, at least one battery to provide electrical power to the sensors, microprocessor and loudspeaker, at least one wristband with at least one pin pulled by the person under debris and worn on the wrist of the person under debris to activate the battery and consequently the sensors, microprocessor and loudspeaker and to open the protection that protects the loudspeaker against dust and dirt,- at least one mobile application that is activated by detecting the sound broadcast made from the loudspeaker in the wristband,displays the information in the sound broadcast to the user through an interface, including the distance and depth information of the source of the sound broadcast, enables a more precise location calculation by pairing two or three mobile devices with each other in order to detect the source of the sound broadcast in the most precise way, and is executed on a smartphone or similar mobile device.

2. A method of operation of low-cost and universal smart wristband system designed to be used in emergency situations such as earthquakes, mine collapses, plane and train accidents, facilitating the identification of living or non-living individuals got trapped under the debris or mine collapses, thus enabling more effective and organized use of the limited number of search and rescue personnel and search and rescue equipment, as well as the limited time available, and consequently enabling the rescue of more disaster victims and accident victims alive in a short time, characterized in that it includes the process steps of: the person under the debris pulling the pin on the wristband, which has a unique ID number, to activate the wristband, measuring the body temperature of the person under the debris and the ambient temperature of the person with the heat sensors in the wristband, measuring the heart rate, i.e. pulse, of the person under the rubble with a pulse sensor, determining by the microprocessor whether the body is living or non-living according to all the measurement data obtained and generating an output signal according to this determination, broadcasting the information whether the person is alive or not, the identity information of the person if the person has been previously registered in the system and the ID number specific to the wristband as an audio signal by the loudspeaker, and using a separate audio signal for living bodies and a separate audio signal for non-living bodies during this broadcast, displaying the location of the ID number transmitted by audio broadcast from the wristband through a mobile application installed on the mobile devices of the people at the debris by means of an interface with point, distance and depth marked, the pairing of two or three mobile devicesthrough the aforementioned mobile application and the calculation of the data from these mobile devices to perform a more precise determination of this location, accessing the identity information of the rescued person in the hospitals to which the rescued person is referred through the ID number of this wristband, as long as the wristband is not removed after the rescue.