Experimental Characterization of Electromagnetic Propagation Under Rubble of a Historic Town After Disaster

Emerging technologies, such as rescue robots, exploiting radio localization and communication systems may become capable of improving the rescue of buried people as a consequence of anthropic or natural disaster, but suitable propagation models in such a scenario are necessary. The earthquake damage experienced in the Italian historic town of L´Aquila turns out to be useful to improve the knowledge of the behavior of radio propagation in areas with collapsed buildings. After the earthquake, a measurement campaign was then carried out in two different locations with different levels of disaster (completely or partially collapsed buildings). Continuous-wave radio transmitters operating at 434 and 868 MHz have been introduced under rubble, and their signals have been measured at different points in the surrounding area. Two-port measurements with a large frequency span have been also performed. The main results are the estimates of the excess path loss and the group delay.