Doodle Labs is releasing its advanced technology that has been implemented in a hand held form, to help post-disaster workers get their tasks done in a more efficient and safer manner. Their wearable mesh radios can be used by ground vehicles to keep teams connected outside available cellular networks. This advanced communications technology, used in conjunction with widely used situational awareness apps, will make a massive difference in disaster response results: More people could be saved in less time.
Response team leaders need awareness of their personnel in the field and can’t afford to lose track of them chaotic environments in which traditional communication infrastructure is either badly damaged or completely decimated. So the Wearable radio works to extend any existing network, whether LTE or satellite, and allows off-grid teams to seamlessly move in and out of the network. As long as one person is within the existing network, the entire team is connected across the mobile mesh network using the radios.
ATAK, a situational awareness application first developed by the US Government and one of several in use by various international, federal and regional first responder groups, is designed for team communication and coordination in the field specifically for first responders. With the app, they are able to see themselves and their teammates’ position in real-time on a map, communicate over video, voice or text, and share useful information like photos (like a piece of clothing or backpack in a search and rescue scenario) and marking them as points on a map. Traditionally, these critical teams have had to rely on sharing information on simple push-to-talk radios and guiding each other using descriptions of landmarks in often changing/unfamiliar settings, made even worse at night or in a wildfire where visibility is low and disorientation is high.
In one field simulation performed by the Corona Fire Department in California, who often respond to wildfires, participants recreated a search and rescue mission along a river at night. They ran the simulation first with traditional comms in which multiple teams were supposed to hit certain points along the river with just a jetty as a physical landmark. In the darkness and with limited information, the teams got scattered and not everyone hit their marker. They then re-ran the simulation using ATAK, they could see themselves on the map along with the other team-members and they easily filtered to their destination waypoint.
While these powerful applications promise to give rescuers a lift, real-life missions require reliable connectivity, especially when staged off-grid or in post-disaster situations in which cell networking infrastructure is damaged or simply congested from over-use. Some networking solutions, including those in use by the US military in foreign deployments, are inaccessible to NGOs and publicly-funded disaster response groups due to cost. Others lack the necessary bandwidth to perform meaningful functions that make the apps impactful. That’s why Los Angeles-based Doodle Labs developed the Wearable Mesh Rider Radio, a high-performance, long-range mesh radio that doesn’t rely on existing network coverage and is 10 to 15 times more affordable than competing comms options, which makes their life-saving tools an option for many more who need them.
Being based in Southern California in an area under annual threat from wildfires, Doodle Labs is well aware of the challenges wildfire firefighters face and they continue to develop their critical communications solutions to best serve these groups’ needs in the field. The company also partners with leading tech companies supporting the efforts of NGOs around the world to develop complex networks that can be rapidly deployed to support response efforts to make them a little smarter and a little safer. With recent world events like the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, this type of technology should be widely accessible to minimize preventable deaths in the aftermath of major disasters due to prolonged or disorganized response efforts. Access to these devices would help international aid coordinate in retrieving victims within the most crucial hours and deploy big groups of volunteers to effectively help survivors of these events.
About Doodle Labs
Doodle Labs develops resilient private wireless networking solutions that can withstand extreme conditions. Their patented Mesh Rider technology is designed for reliable, long-range manned and unmanned applications across Commercial, Public Safety, and Government/Defense. Doodle Labs’ business model centers on customer satisfaction and consistent production of high-quality products with accessible prices. Doodle Labs was founded in 1999 and has offices in the United States and Singapore.
Media Contact
Name: Amol Parikh, VP of Marketing
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