STM Defense Technologies Engineering and Trade Inc. Lead Technician Yusuf Hayrili explained the capabilities of the device by using DAR in the technology display area at the company campus.
Using the device to detect the living thing behind 2 blocks and a plastered brick wall made of “slab concrete” poured on the ground in constructions, Haylı said that the breathing of the creature behind 3 walls and the micro-macro movements such as chest cage movement, shoulder movement, hand waving, finger flicking were detected by DAR. He said it could be detected.
He noted that although it was originally produced for the defense industry, they tried to use DAR in an earthquake debris environment. Drawing attention to the contribution of the device, Hayrili said:
“Our distance, which is normally 22 meters in the debris environment, decreased to 10, 7, 5 meters depending on the condition of the debris. The thickness of the walls, the density of goods inside, the refrigerator, etc. also affected our work. We made it easier to locate the earthquake victim by warning him in the form of ‘shake your arm’ and increasing his movements. The teams entered and pulled the earthquake victim out of the rubble as soon as possible. We also reduced the debris removal process, which took 10-12 hours, to 1.5-2 hours.”
Stating that the DAR was developed to detect the creature in the rear in closed spaces, in places where eye contact is not possible, through ultra-wideband radar signals, Hayrili said that the radar is used by special forces in areas such as residential area operations, counter-terrorism, and hostage rescue operations.
Lives saved with DAR
Emphasizing that while developing the device, they predicted that it could be used in earthquakes, natural disasters, avalanches and fires, Hayrilı said the following regarding the activities they carried out after the earthquake:
“As the size of the earthquake was very large, as a team, we reached the Hatay region with 8 people and 4 devices. It is a product that was used for the first time in the earthquake. We proceeded more cautiously by experiencing a product produced for the defense industry in the first wrecks in the earthquake environment. After the device was accepted, it was divided into 4 teams. We worked quickly on the debris. We determined the location of over 50 citizens in total. We started working in the Odabaşı District of the first Hatay region. We were working with the fire brigade here. In our first study, the teams were saying that there was a sound coming from an area with a press on the back and an opening in the front. We detected the device from 5-5.5 meters here. Since we used the device for the first time, we wanted to take it a little further inside. We got detection from approximately 2.5 meters by entering the wreckage. With the work of the teams, we were instrumental in the emergence of a foreign woman alive after 1.5-2 hours. Afterwards, the teams took us to the Oduncu Apartment area, where we were 4.5 meters above the ground. We determined the location of Ms. Reyhan in the food. Meanwhile, we were receiving weak signals from the opposite direction. Citizens were asked, we were informed that a mother and her baby live in that flat. After confirming that Ms. Reyhan was fine, we gave priority to the baby. The teams reached the mother and her baby, unfortunately the mother passed away, but they pulled the 7-month-old baby out of the wreckage safely. Afterwards, Reyhan Hanım, who fell to the basement floor, was rescued. We went up to the first floor and continued our search again. We receive signals from a place such as the bedroom, en-suite bathroom, from 2.5 meters, which we estimate to be from the opposite apartment. This time we directed the teams in that direction. We heard a humming sound, we could not understand whether he was speaking Arabic. The teams worked for 2-2.5 hours and took 7 people from the opposite flat. As we called, we were getting the hum because they were always talking in unison. We were very happy to save 7 people. Afterwards, we continued to work on other debris, positioning as one meter to the right 2 meters ahead and 2 meters to the right 5 meters ahead.”
Contributed in the race against time, his skills will increase
Yusuf Hayrili emphasized that the DAR benefits search and rescue teams, especially in the race against time.
Stating that it is an important contribution to prevent the earthquake victims from being harmed during the works since the location is acted upon, Hayrilı said, “Maybe if there were more DAR on the field, it would be possible to reach more lives.” said.
When asked about the interest in DAR after its use in earthquakes, Hayrilı said, “After his return, search and rescue teams such as AFAD, AKUT, GEA, firefighters of various cities requested interviews. We did our demos with them, gave information about the use of our device. There were positive feedbacks, interviews were also made. continues. We think that the number of DARs will increase in the coming period. We will be happy to see our domestic and national device in the hands of search and rescue teams.” he said.
Also commenting on STM’s ongoing work on DAR, Hayrili said:
“We are in search of how we can use our device, which we designed and produced to combat terrorism, more effectively in the debris environment, how we can see behind 5-6 walls instead of 3-4 walls. Because we can detect up to 22 meters in an upright, normal standing building, but how the debris is destroyed in an earthquake environment, we are looking for. “The walls of 4, 5, 6 floors overlap. We made our determinations using the spaces in between. We will try to find out how we can make determinations on the walls of 5 floors, 6 floors, maybe even higher, by developing it further.”
