As the rescue operation entered its tenth day in the quake-hit parts of Turkiye, a rare moment of joy swept the dusty streets of Kahramanmaras when a 42-year-old woman was pulled alive 222 hours (almost 10 days) from under the rubble of a collapsed residential building.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed in the twin earthquakes, which struck southern Turkiye, where the Kahramanmaras province located,  and northwestern Syria on February 6. 

With temperature dropping and time running out, rescuers are relying on high-tech gadgets to find survivors. Here’s how some of them work:

A new age for drones 

Drones, especially those made by Turkish firms such as Baykar Technology, have proved their efficacy on the battlefield. They are also increasingly being deployed following natural disasters. 

Rescuers have relied on drones to get a bird's eye view of the situation on the ground, helping  identify  what part in an affected zone needs immediate attention. 

Syncing the information with satellite imagery can help identify location of the damaged structures in real-time to any centralised control centre, enabling close coordination between various relief agencies. 

The Turkish defence industry has sent more than a  hundred unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones to the region. 

UAVs of the Turkish Air Force, some of which were equipped with rapid mapping pods that enable them to generate high-resolution maps of thousands of square kilometers, have also been deployed in the quake-hot zone. 

READ MORE: Live updates: 50,000 buildings face demolition after deadly Türkiye quake

There are some specific technologies that have been assisting search and rescue operations more than a little and help them save lives for the past 10 days.

Behind-the-wall radars (DAR)

The DAR radar system has saved lives by helping locate people trapped underneath mounds of debris and concrete. It senses breathing and hand-arm movements. 

DAR can locate people through the mounds of debris based on their breathing and hand-arm movements.

At least 20 people have been dug out of the quake debris using DAR. 

Acoustic listening devices

Thanks to the sensitive seismic acoustic listening devices utilized by search and rescue teams 28 citizens were rescued from under the rubble in Hatay.

The sound transmitted by solid matter is received by these listening devices through sensors placed on walls, ceilings, floors or beams.

The devices can provide audible and visual data by detecting sounds of touch, or when someone scratches or hits something under the debris. They also detect shafts and gaps in the debris and provide visual data to help rescuers reach survivors.

Survivors can be found even from their breath or heartbeat. Therefore silence on the site is needed while the rescue team bangs three times and hopes to hear a response via the device.

READ MORE: Search for Türkiye quake survivors enters its 10th day

Thermal cameras 

Heat-sensing equipment such as thermal cameras, stick cameras, sub-dent imaging, and underground imaging have been commonly used in quake zones to locate people who are not directly in a rescuer's line of sight. 

Because a human  body’s heat can warm the rubble around them, survivors can be detected using such devices. 

Real time technology

The real time technology enables volunteers and emergency responders to communicate with medical experts and other professional teams who can offer quick, life-saving solutions to them.

Used by Israel’s rescue team, this technology combines location services, live video chat, incident mapping, and other communication systems into one dashboard at the call center and provides immediate assistance to rescue teams.

READ MORE: Elderly among survivors rescued nine days after Türkiye earthquakes