Buried Bodies Detection Using Ground

Penetrating RADAR

Introduction:
Existing methods for searching and rescuing human victims buried under earthquake
rubble or collapsed building are the utilization of dogs, or seismic or optical devices.

These existing devices are not effective if the rubble or debris covering the human
victims is thicker than a few feet, especially for the case when the victims are
completely trapped or too weak to respond to the signal sent by the rescuers.
Moreover, it is time consumed process. We can lose human life due to this slow
process. Thus, there is great demand for constructing a new sensitive life detection
system which can be used to locate human victims trapped deep under earthquake
rubble or collapsed building debris and quickly. Especially, the system needs to be
sensitive enough to detect the breathing and heartbeat signals of passive victims
who are completely trapped or too weak to respond to the existing seismic
detection system.
The basic physical principle for the operation of a microwave life detection system is rather
simple. When a microwave beam of appropriate frequency (L or S band) is aimed at a pile of
earthquake rubble or collapsed building debris under which a human subject is buried, the
microwave beam can penetrate through the
rubble or the debris to reach the subject. When the human subject is illuminated by the
microwave beam, the reflected wave from the subject will be modulated by the subjects
body movements, which include the breathing and the heartbeat. If the reflected wave from
the stationary background can be cancelled and the reflected wave from the subjects body
is properly demodulated, the breathing and heartbeat signals of the subject can be
extracted. Thus, a human subject buried under the rubble or the debris can be located easily
and quickly.

Figure 1.1 Pseudo Practical System for Human Life Detection [1]

Implementation:
The approach that we will be following throughout the project is to generate
microwaves from Phase locked oscillator. This wave will be passed through a
directional coupler that would branch out the wave to phase shifter and transmitting
antenna. The phase shifter would shift the phase by 180 degrees and will pass it to
the Attenuator/Amplifier. The reflected wave would be possessing the information
about the target like there will be a Doppler shift in the reflected wave. This
reflected wave will then be added to the output of attenuator/amplifier. This would
cause the cancellation of the clutter (useless) signal but the modulated signal would
reside there that would be passed to microprocessor for processing.

Figure 1.2 Block Diagram for Buried Bodies Detection using GPR

Circuit Description of the System:

There are various components for the project that are being used for different
purposes as shown in Figure 1.2. The description for each component is following.

Phase Locked Oscillator:

The basic purpose of phase locked oscillator is to generate specific frequency.
It locks the frequency. Whenever frequency due to error or noise changes , it brings
it back to the original frequency. In our purpose, we will be using this component for
generating microwave frequency. Frequency generated for Phase Locked Oscillator
is accurate enough. That is the main benefit of Phase Locked Oscillator. In our case,
we need a signal of microwave frequency. Phase Locked Oscillator will generate this
signal with specific frequency. So that if signal gets deviated from its original
frequency, then Phase Locked Oscillator will bring it back.

Directional Coupler:
The purpose of directional coupler is to split the power of high frequency
wave. When there is branch in the circuit, the high frequency components do not go

better in braches. So, Directional coupler does this job better. It splits the frequency
into two power components. These both signals go to their separate branch. In our
system, as we are transmitting frequency generated by Phase locked oscillator
through antenna as well as giving it to the Phase shifter and then
attenuator/amplifier. So, here is the branch . We need to add directional coupler
here.

Phase Shifter:
As the name suggests, phase shifter shifts the signal by some amount. In our
case, we will be shifting the signal coming from directional coupler by 180 degree
somehow. So that, it will cancel out with the wave coming from receiving antenna.
180 degree in not an accurate value. From practical point of view, there can be
phase delay in the receiving signal. So, we have to adjust the phase of phase shifter
depending on the phase shifted of incoming signal.

Attenuator/ Amplifier:
Incoming Signal from receiving antenna would have been attenuated or
amplified due to the environment effect (most probably attenuated). So, we have to
cancel it with the original signal that was given to phase shifter. After passing
through phase shifter, signal would be amplified or attenuated. So that, It would
cancel out the original signal part from incoming signal (through receiving
antenna).After cancelling, we would have only the information signal that actually
we needed.

Transmitting and Receiving Antennas:

Antenna sends out the signal or wave to the environment. As the name
suggests, transmitting antenna transmits the signal while receiving antenna
receives the signal. It is common device in communication systems. In our case,
signal would be sent to the target (alive human) through transmitting antenna. After
colliding with the target, it would be modulated signal that would have the
information of the target. Receiving Antenna will then receive that signal.

Microprocessor:
Microprocessor is also the main part of the system. It would be assuring that
the original signal has been cancelled out from the receiving signal. If not then shift
the phase or attenuate/amplify the signal such that it will cancel out the original
part from incoming signal. This new informative signal will then processed. By the

frequency analysis, we will decide whether there was alive human being or not. If
there is, then perhaps it would calculate the distance of the target from the
antenna.

Objectives:

Life detection systems under earthquake barrel.

Low cost design and hardware implementation.
Real time processing of Signals.

Benefits:

This project would prove to be a helpful tool in saving man power and
resources as well. In spite of digging up all the way around to search
the life signs, if we know about the targets location it would help a lot
in saving the time and more importantly the human life.
Detect submarines and other things in water.
Detection of stealth aircrafts for military purpose.

References:
[1] Yanming Xiao et al., Frequency-Tuning Technique for Remote Detection of
Heartbeat and Respiration Using Low-Power Double-Sideband Transmission in the
Ka-Band, IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MICROWAVE THEORY AND TECHNIQUES, VOL.
54, NO. 5, MAY 2006.
[2] Changzhi Li and Jenshan Lin. Random Body Movement Cancellation in Doppler
Radar Vital Sign Detection, IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MICROWAVE THEORY AND
TECHNIQUES, VOL. 56, NO. 12, DECEMBER 2008.
[3] Kun-Mu Chen, et al. Microwave Life-Detection Systems for Searching Human
Subjects Under Earthquake Rubble or Behind Barrier, IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON
BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING, VOL. 27, NO. 1, JANUARY 2000.
[4] Chen-Chia Wang, et al. Human Life Signs Detection Using High-Sensitivity
Pulsed Laser Vibrometer, IEEE SENSORS JOURNAL, VOL. 7, NO. 9, SEPTEMBER
2007.
[5] Yanyun Xu, et al. Experimental Study of UWB Pulse Radar for Life Detection,
2011 International Conference on Instrumentation, Measurement, Computer,
Communication and Control.
[5] Yanyun Xu, et al. Experimental Study of UWB Pulse Radar for Life Detection,
2011 International Conference on Instrumentation, Measurement, Computer,
Communication and Control.

WWW.
[6] Rebecca Boyle. (August 2, 2010). NEW CORPSE-DETECTION SYSTEM FINDS WHERE THE
BODIES ARE BURIED [Online]. Available: http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2010-08/newcorpse-finder-test-knows-where-bodies-are-buried.
[7] Lindsay Moran. (April 8, 2014). Buried alive to test new tech [Online]. Available:
http://america.aljazeera.com/watch/shows/techknow/articles/2014/4/8/buried-alive-totestnewtech.html