Engineers develop ‘Earthquake Black Box System’ to aid rescue efforts

IZMIR

Inspired by flight data recorders, Turkish engineers have created system designed to prevent disasters and aid rescue missions during and after earthquakes.

A team of 10 engineers in İzmir drew inspiration from airplane black boxes to develop a system that tackles four major earthquake risks: Before, during and after-shocks. The system, dubbed the "Earthquake Black Box System," aims to minimize casualties by taking preventative measures and pinpointing survivors' locations.

Professor Dr. Zafer Akçığ, the founder of the Dokuz Eylül University’s Earthquake Center, explained the project's origin. "Since most of Türkiye is located in earthquake zones, complete urban transformation will take a significant amount of time," he said. "While earthquakes are inevitable, the destruction they cause is not. We identified a crucial issue during the Feb. 6 earthquakes – people trapped alive under rubble for the first 72 hours could not be reached. This system is designed to save these lives."

During an earthquake, if the building remains standing, the system assesses the tremor's intensity. Two black boxes would be installed in each building, one on the ground floor and another on the roof. Upon detecting an earthquake, the ground-floor black box triggers several safety measures: It sounds an alarm, cuts off water and natural gas supplies, stabilizes elevators for safe evacuation and shuts off the gas supply at the main valve.

"Our primary focus is rescuing the living and unconscious during the critical 72-hour window," said Akçığ." After that period, the chances of survival significantly decrease, and our goal then shifts to recovering bodies with minimal damage."