Localization of radio emitters into collapsed buildings after earthquake: Measurements of path loss and direction of arrival

The paper deals with the localization of radio emitters into collapsed buildings after earthquake. A measurement campaign has been carried out in a typical European historical city, L´Aquila, which was recently stroke by a severe earthquake. Continuous wave radio transmitters operating at 434 and 868 MHz have been introduced under rubble and their signals have been measured at different points surrounding the debris to evaluate the path loss and the direction of arrival. An accurate reconstruction of the scenario has been also carried out using a laser scan. The obtained results demonstrate the possibility to localize a radio emitter under rubble with considerable accuracy.