Objectif
Although avalanches, earthquakes and collapsed buildings are claiming an increasing death toll due to urbanisation, climate change and tourism, Search and Rescue (SAR) operations are limited and expensive. Even research efforts for Search and Rescue services are relatively unimportant due to the specific and therefore limited market for existing products. The main limitations of existing SAR methods are their inefficiency, time involvement and costly as they are very directional and limited in range and accuracy. In addition, their usage is complex and requires intense training and sophisticated methodology or even resorting to a specialised team. Therefore, there is an urgent need for developing a unique, easy-to-use, cost-efficient, safe and reliable tool in order to locate victims who are buried under debris or snow, providing accuracy of their position in a swift way.
As experiences from disaster situations show than most of the victims carried mobile phones with them, the aim of the RescueCell project is to develop a novel accurate location system based on mobile signal measurements in order to create a cost-effective and portable kit for emergency search services, easy to be to be installed and used. The SMEs participating in this project will greatly benefit from exploiting the RescueCell application for the location of cell phones worldwide. The RescueCell system is expected to lead to significantly faster searches in SAR missions resulting in finding more survivors, and also in reducing the related SAR cost proportionally. Apart from money savings due to the lower SAR operation cost, and reduction in hospitalization costs, there is also the value of a life or health that cannot be quantified. If this technology saves lives, this research will undoubtedly be worth an investment.
Champ scientifique
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesgeologyseismology
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringinformation engineeringtelecommunicationsmobile phones
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesatmospheric sciencesclimatologyclimatic changes
Thème(s)
Appel à propositions
FP7-SME-2012
Voir d’autres projets de cet appel
Régime de financement
BSG-SME - Research for SMEsCoordinateur
08940 Cornella De Llobregat Barcelona
Espagne