Rescue Rats With Backpacks Find Earthquake Survivors Thanks to BYU Engineering Students

Recent earthquakes with footage of collapsed building and rescue workers digging through the rubble for survivors has a surprising tie to Brigham Young University in Utah. Engineering students designed wearable tech for some small rescuers.

Meet the Hero Rats: A Unique Rescue Approach

APOPO is a non-profit organization that specializes in clearing land mines and searching through collapsed buildings using rats. You read that correctly. These are East African Savanna Pouched Rats. They are bigger and smarter than the average rodent.

This low cost solution to help relieve suffering in the world has brought about amazing results. These hero rats are trained to sniff out land mines that kill hundreds of people every year. They can also find people trapped in rubble after an earthquake.

Overcoming GPS Challenges in Collapsed Structures

Where students in the engineering department at BYU come into the picture is a small backpack that the trained rats can wear. This device relays where the rat is in a building  to lead rescuers to where people are found in the rubble.

The problem is you can't get a GPS signal in these collapsed buildings. The reinforced concrete blocks these signals. The solution these engineering students came up with is genius.

A Call to Action: Recognizing Unique Contributions

They equipped the backpack with cameras, microphones, and a motion detector. Using the cameras they map where the rat goes with visual signals they can see from the outside. The microphone gives audio clues to where the rat is.

The motion detector helps them track the rat's movements as it makes its way through the rubble. These three forms of feedback give rescuers information about where trapped people are and what needs to be cleared to get to them.

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Next time you see an earthquake and the rescue efforts, cheer on these amazing rats and the BYU engineering students who designed their innovative backpacks.