In the wreckage of two buildings in the Nepalese village of Chautara, four men were rescued, thanks to FINDER (Finding Individuals for Disaster and Emergency Response)—a technology that was able to find their heartbeats under about ten feet of brick, mud, wood, and other debris. The suitcase-sized device helped uncover these survivors following the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that devastated Nepal on April 25, 2015.

FINDER sends a low-powered microwave signal—about one-thousandth of a cell phone’s output—through rubble and looks for changes in the reflections of those signals coming back from tiny motions caused by victims’ breathing and heartbeats. FINDER’s development was sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate, going from concept to field trials in a bit more than a year. Please join us as Jim Lux discusses this lifesaving technology’s development, testing, and use.

Jim Lux was the Task Manager for FINDER and is currently the Principal Investigator for HERMA—Heartbeat Microwave Authentication for cellphones and mobile devices—that aims to authenticate a user’s identity by detecting the unique features of his or her heartbeat. In addition, he is the JPL Principal Investigator for the SCaN (Space Communications and Navigation) Testbed, which was installed on the International Space Station in 2012, for which he received the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal. Prior to his JPL tenure, Jim performed award-winning work in physical special effects for film and television; design and development of electronic warfare and signals identification systems; and large distributed software systems for database and dispatch applications.

This event is free. All members of the Campus and JPL communities and retirees are welcome. Caltech personnel and guests can access the auditorium via the external gate. For more information, contact Randii Wessen, (818) 354-7580. Or email cma.announce@jpl.nasa.gov.