Hack-A-Day introduces us to RescueRAT—a program by the Technical University of Eindoven in the Netherlands and the APOPO rescue organization in Tanzania. This program equips large rats with backpacks that contain cameras and radio transponders. When the rats are released into the rubble of collapsed buildings, the cameras send live images back to rescue workers.
The rats are trained to press a button when they encounter a human. This activates the radio transponder, letting the rescue team know the location of a victim in need of extraction.
This promotional video also asserts that the system allows for communication with victims, although it’s unclear how this is accomplished.