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Spinoff story
Radar Device Detects Heartbeats Trapped under Wreckage
A real-world story of NASA technology finding a life beyond the mission.
About this technology
Overview
NASA often analyzes weak signals hidden in noise, like alterations in a satellite’s path that indicate gravity fluctuations in a planet. With funding from other government agencies, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory adapted the technology to create FINDER, which uses radar to detect the breathing and heartbeats of victims trapped under rubble. Edgewood, Maryland-based R4 Inc. licensed the technology and continues to develop it. The device has already seen its first sales and saved its first earthquake victims.