Enhancing Body Detection in CSSR Operations Using Advanced Technology: A Combined RF and Thermal Sensing System for Rural and Mining-Affected Areas

Collapsed buildings, mine roofs and landslides trap people under heavy debris, and their chances of survival fall as time passes. Finding the exact position of a victim is the slowest and riskiest part of collapsed structure search and rescue (CSSR), especially in rural and mining-affected areas where modern equipment, light and stable ground are not available. This paper studies an Advance Body Detection System (ABDS) that sends 1.5 GHz radio-frequency (RF) waves into the debris and uses a low-cost thermal camera to confirm the heat of a human body. The architecture, the RF chain (antenna, VCO, LNA, mixer and analog-to-digital detector), the processing unit and a decision logic that cross-references both sensors are explained with block diagrams, a signal-processing chain and a flowchart, and basic calculations for the RF module and the thermal camera are given. The study, based on recent literature (2020 onwards), shows that RF waves can pass through non-metallic debris and sense the small movement of a hidden person, while a thermal camera detects body heat only at the surface; using both together gives more confident detection than either alone. The main limitations are unwanted reflections from debris, metal and moisture, limited penetration depth, radio-frequency regulations and the need for field trials. No experiments were carried out; calculated values are typical values for explanation