This article first appeared on the RUB new page.
A flood, an explosion or a train accident are just a few scenarios in which mass casualties can occur. In the initial chaos, an unmanned flight system is to support the rescue services: FALKE measures vital parameters, such as heart and respiratory rate of those affected and injured, from the air. This can make decisions made by paramedics easier or redundant and speed up care measures. A team from RUB used high-resolution radar sensors to reconstruct the patient's heartbeat and breathing based on body vibration.
Triage: A difficult situation for paramedics
Immediately after an accident, the most important question is: How many people are injured and how badly? In rescue services as well as in civil protection, the so-called triage of the injured, i.e. their classification according to the severity of their injuries and the prioritization according to their need for treatment, has become established. The first paramedics on site assess all people and assign them to a category: green (slightly injured), yellow (moderately injured), red (severely injured). Only in this way is it possible to use the limited medical resources in a targeted manner and to treat the people with the greatest need for treatment first.
However, triage means a high psychological burden for the paramedics. Their decision determines the further fate of the injured; wrong decisions can have deadly consequences. In addition, paramedics performing triage cannot carry out direct treatment themselves, although the injured urgently need it.
FALKE delivers a map with information about the injured
FALKE can help here. The unmanned flight system has radar sensors on board to measure distances, which can determine heartbeat and breathing rate, for example. "Technically, this measurement is extremely challenging, since the movement of the human body due to heartbeat and breathing involves very small deflections. And at the same time the flight platform is exposed to strong movements." explains Prof. Dr. Nils Pohl, Chair of Integrated Systems at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology at RUB.
In addition, FALKE has a conventional camera to detect color changes and movements, as well as infrared thermography to detect temperature differences. A screening algorithm interprets the information obtained. The result: a triage category for the injured on the ground. The system provides an overview map with a color coding of all injured persons. This makes it unnecessary to walk around the scene and search for injured people.
More information and pictures can be viewed on the project page.
