By VOA

17 November, 2013

From VOA Learning English, this is the Technology Report.

When a building collapses, every minute is important for victims buried under the wreckage, that is why two American government agencies teamed up to develop a high-tech tool to find those who are trapped.

The Department of Homeland Security and NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration took part in the project. Rescue crews have been testing the state-of-the-art radar tool called FINDER. The name may short for Finding individuals for Disaster and Emergency Response. This radar device can recognize a person's smallest movements or even a heart beat, even when the individual is unable to communicate.

Earlier this year, Homeland Security and rescuers used FINDER to carry out more than 65 test searches in the American state of Virginia. They say, the tests prove successful in recognizing a human heart beat under 9 metres of mixed concrete and other material. The device was also able to identify a heart beat hidden behind 6 metres of solid concrete, and from a distance of up to 30 metres in open spaces.

It is an example of how space agency creations are helping people here on earth. FINDER's technology is based on the tracking technology that NASA uses for its spacecraft. Jim Lux is with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California.

"FINDER works by sending a low-power microwave signal, and it illuminates the rubble pile, and some of the microwaves go in and reflect off the victim inside and come back out. So FINDER sees both the reflection from the rubble, which does not move, and a very tiny reflection from the victim, which does move, because when you breathe and when your heart beats, your skin moves a little bit and we can see that," Lux said.

Jim Lux says the device is small, easy to carry and easy to use.

"It goes out and collects 30-seconds' worth of data, because that is how long you need to get the heartbeat and the breathing, and then it analyzes it and displays it for the user," Lux said.

FINDER could be used with other tools rescuers use, such as listening devices or search dogs. Matthew Tamillow works with Virginia Task Force 1. He says the new technology could help rescuers in deciding which buildings to search.

"This type of technology, including FINDER, could aid in the assistance of triaging a building to say, 'Okay, there is a strong probability that a live victim could be in here, and we need to devote our valuable human resources into searching it,'" said Tamillow.

FINDER is still being developed and tested. NASA says it could start being used in searching rescue operation as early as next year.

And that is the Technology Report from VOA Special English. For more about our reports, visit our website at chinavoa.com. We are also on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter at VOA Learning English. I'm June Simms.

From VOA Learning English, this is the Technology Report.

这里是美国之音慢速英语科技报道。

When a building collapses, every minute is important for victims buried under the wreckage, that is why two American government agencies teamed up to develop a high-tech tool to find those who are trapped.

当一栋建筑物倒塌时，每一分钟对被埋在废墟下的受害者来说都很重要。这就是两家美国政府机构联手开发一种搜寻被困者的高科技工具的原因。

The Department of Homeland Security and NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration took part in the project. Rescue crews have been testing the state-of-the-art radar tool called FINDER. The name may short for Finding individuals for Disaster and Emergency Response. This radar device can recognize a person's smallest movements or even a heart beat, even when the individual is unable to communicate.

美国国土安全部和美国宇航局参与了该项目。救援人员一直在测试美国最先进的雷达工具，它被称为FINDER，即Finding individuals for Disaster and Emergency Response的缩写。该雷达装置可以识别出一个人的细微动作甚至心跳，即使当时无法与这个人交流。

Earlier this year, Homeland Security and rescuers used FINDER to carry out more than 65 test searches in the American state of Virginia. They say, the tests prove successful in recognizing a human heart beat under 9 metres of mixed concrete and other material. The device was also able to identify a heart beat hidden behind 6 metres of solid concrete, and from a distance of up to 30 metres in open spaces.

今年早些时候，国土安全部和救援人员使用FINDER在弗吉尼亚州进行了65次以上的搜寻测试。他们说，这些测试在识别位于9米厚度混凝土和其它材料混合物下人类心跳上取得了成功。该装置还能识别出6米厚度实体混凝土背后以及30米以外开阔空间的的心跳。

It is an example of how space agency creations are helping people here on earth. FINDER's technology is based on the tracking technology that NASA uses for its spacecraft. Jim Lux is with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California.

这是宇航局发明帮助人类的一个实例。FINDER的技术是基于美国宇航局用于太空飞船的追踪技术。吉姆·勒克斯(Jim Lux)就职于加利福尼亚州的喷气推进实验室。

"FINDER works by sending a low-power microwave signal, and it illuminates the rubble pile, and some of the microwaves go in and reflect off the victim inside and come back out. So FINDER sees both the reflection from the rubble, which does not move, and a very tiny reflection from the victim, which does move, because when you breathe and when your heart beats, your skin moves a little bit and we can see that," Lux said.

勒克斯表示，“FINDER的工作原理是发送低功率微波信号扫描废墟堆，部分微波穿透废墟，并被废墟中的受害者反射回来。FINDER看到来自废墟的反射不会移动，而来自受害者的微小反射会移动。因为当你呼吸和心跳时，身体表面会细微移动，我们就能看到。”

Jim Lux says the device is small, easy to carry and easy to use.

勒克斯说该装置很小，便于携带，使用简单。

"It goes out and collects 30-seconds' worth of data, because that is how long you need to get the heartbeat and the breathing, and then it analyzes it and displays it for the user," Lux said.

“它发射出去收集30秒的有用数据，因为这个时间长度内你必须心跳和呼吸。随后它对数据进行分析，并显示给用户。”

FINDER could be used with other tools rescuers use, such as listening devices or search dogs. Matthew Tamillow works with Virginia Task Force 1. He says the new technology could help rescuers in deciding which buildings to search.

FINDER能和其它救援人员用的工具一起使用，像监听设备或救援犬。Matthew Tamillow就职于弗吉尼亚州第一特遣队。他说，这项新技术能够帮助救援人员决定先搜索哪些建筑物。

"This type of technology, including FINDER, could aid in the assistance of triaging a building to say, 'Okay, there is a strong probability that a live victim could be in here, and we need to devote our valuable human resources into searching it,'" said Tamillow.

他说，“包括FINDER在内的这类技术可以在救援决策上帮助人们，‘这里很有可能有一位幸存者，我必须把我们最宝贵的人力资源投入进来搜救他。’”

FINDER is still being developed and tested. NASA says it could start being used in searching rescue operation as early as next year.

FINDER仍在开发和测试。美国宇航局表示，最早明年它就可以开始用于搜救行动。