Disaster Zone Technology Gives Rescue Missions the Edge灾区技术让救援行动如虎添翼

Disaster zones operate on tight timelines. Minutes， or even seconds， can be the difference between life and death when people are trapped by rubble， collapsed buildings， or rising waters.

灾区救援刻不容缓。一旦有人被瓦砾、倒塌的建筑物或上涨的水位困住，分分秒秒都会是生死之别。

Technology has always played a part in search and rescue， and relief teams depend on a range of tools to help save lives.

技术一直在搜救中发挥作用，救援队伍依靠各类工具来救助生命。

Natural disasters affect around 200 million people on average each year. Between 2000 and 2019， they led to more than 1.2 million deaths. And weather—including floods， storms， and heatwaves—is the root cause of 90% of those disasters. As climate change drives more extreme weather events， technology and rescue expertise will only increase in importance.

自然灾害平均每年影响约2亿人，在2000至2019年期间共导致120多万人死亡。此类灾害的起因有九成是天气，如洪涝、暴风雨和热浪等。随着气候变化导致更多极端天气事件发生，技术和救援专业知识的重要性会有增无减。

That expertise is often provided by high-level agencies like NASA， using satellite imagery to provide ‘before and after’ maps highlighting areas damaged by the Springfield tornado. Or imagery from the 7.8 magnitude Nepal earthquake in April 2015， where an international team led by NASA helped the Nepali government identify landslide hazards， and decide where to provide relief or evacuate people.

上述专业知识通常由诸如美国国家航空航天局（NASA）之类的高级机构提供，它们利用卫星图像提供斯普林菲尔德龙卷风发生前后的对照地图，标示遭受破坏的区域；或是提供2015年4月尼泊尔7.8级地震的图像，当时由NASA领导的一个国际小组曾协助尼泊尔政府排查山体滑坡隐患，确定派出救援或疏散人员的地点。

Mapping work is also carried out at ground level by organizations such as MapAction， with expertise in geographic information systems and land surveying to create detailed relief and rescue maps. After the Haiti earthquake in August 2021， the charity drew up maps showing shelter， health facilities， and food distribution， but also passable1 roads， helicopter landing points and relief agency numbers.

地面测绘工作则由MapAction这样的机构完成，他们拥有地理信息系统和土地勘测方面的专长，可绘制详细的抢险救灾地图。2021年8月海地发生地震之后，该慈善机构绘制了多份地图，地图上标有避难所、卫生设施和食品分发点的位置，并显示可通行的道路、直升机着陆点和救援机构数目。

One of the first actions relief agencies often take in disaster areas is to set up mobile networks so that locals and workers can communicate effectively. Local phone networks may be badly damaged or non-existent， so a mobile app developed by the Serval2 Project in response to the Haiti earthquake in 2010， allows phones to communicate directly with each other when networks are down.

救援机构在灾区往往首先采取的行动之一是设立移动网络，以便当地灾民和救援工作人员能有效通信。当地电话网络可能会严重受损或荡然无存，因此“薮猫工程”为应对2010年海地地震开发了一款移动应用程序，使手机在网络中断时能直接相互通信。

Two-way text messaging systems can also be set up to cover a specific region， or even just one neighborhood， allowing agencies to talk to people on even the most basic mobile handsets3. But communications companies can also create internet， Wi-Fi and phone networks within minutes using portable devices that can fit inside a backpack.

还可设置覆盖某一区域甚至某一社区的双向短信系统，让救援机构能通过即便是最简单的手机与灾民通话。不过通信公司也可利用可放入背包的便携设备在短短几分钟内构建互联网、无线网络和电话网络。

Small is also beautiful when it comes to finding survivors in wrecked buildings. Researchers at ETH Zurich4 have created a palm-sized sensor array that can detect humidity， carbon dioxide from breath， and chemicals emitted from the skin in tiny quantities. Where rescue dogs are not available， these tiny detectors could be lifesaving.

在严重损毁的建筑物中搜寻幸存者时，“小亦是美”。苏黎世联邦理工学院研究人员研制出了一种手掌大小的阵列传感器，能检测湿度、呼气排出的二氧化碳和皮肤散发的微量化学物质。在无救援犬的情况下，此类微型探测器或可拯救生命。

Heartbeat is another vital sign， and NASA’s FINDER5 is a suitcase-sized microwave technology that can identify tiny motions caused by breathing and beating hearts under tons of building debris. Following the Nepal earthquake， it helped find four men buried under 10 feet of brick， wood and mud. And in tests， FINDER has detected heartbeats through 20 feet of concrete.

心跳是另一生命体征，NASA的“搜寻者”是一种手提箱大小的微波技术装置，可探测大堆建筑残骸下呼吸和心跳引起的细微动静。在尼泊尔发生地震后，该设备协助搜寻到了四名被掩埋在10英尺厚砖木和泥土下的人员。“搜寻者”还曾在测试中透过20英尺厚的混凝土探测到心跳。

In 2012， the Pentagon ran a competition to develop adaptable first responder robots capable of using human tools， including vehicles. One of the graduates of that challenge was Atlas from Boston Dynamics—a humanoid6 robot that can run， jump over obstacles， and do somersaults7.

美国国防部于2012年举办了一项竞赛，旨在开发会使用车辆等人类工具的自适应应急救援机器人。该竞赛的成果之一是波士顿动力公司研制的阿特拉斯——一种能够奔跑、跳越障碍物和空翻的人形机器人。

Atlas isn’t typical of search and rescue robots. Many are much simpler tracked vehicles， like the iRobot PackBots8， which helped survey and clean up Fukushima’s nuclear plant after it was destroyed by the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.

阿特拉斯并非典型的搜救机器人。很多搜救机器人是简单得多的履带式车辆，譬如iRobot公司的多任务机器人PackBot。在福岛核电站被日本东北大地震和海啸摧毁后，这种机器人曾协助对该核电站进行勘查和清理。

Some of the most interesting and seemingly simple designs are inspired by nature. Carnegie Mellon University’s snake robot was deployed in Mexico City following an earthquake in September 2017. Snakebot was able to crawl through collapsed apartment buildings and transmit a live video feed to rescue workers， and an upgrade means that it can now swim underwater.