"Survival Cube" - The First Earthquake Innovation

In the bid to search and rescue any survivors, it’s always a race against time. In human survival, there’s the Rule of four minutes without air, four days without water and four weeks without food.

Rescuers look for gaps where people may have survived in collapsed buildings. Even if a building “pancake” (i.e., when floors collapse layer on flat layer), people can survive in these “voids.” They “delayer” the rubble by carefully removing where they logically think people might be.

Rescue technologies, and dogs, help in this search, although they are expensive and hard to get in battle zones like Syria. Such technology is not easily accessible – it’s too expensive, and even if money is available, importing such items is not possible. To fix this problem, Field Ready has previously made this rescue technology which has saved many lives.

This time Field Ready’s team of extraordinary engineers has rapidly designed a "survival cube." Designed by and for Syrians, this could potentially save many more lives during earthquakes.

Similar earthquake survival tools have been designed before such as reinforced beds and tables, and even school desks that students in earthquake zones can shelter. But this is unique because it has been designed in Syria and can be locally manufactured using tools and materials readily available.

The Survival Cube is an earthquake safety space that is made of hard metal, and it is designed to resist the pressure from falling debris during an earthquake, following the recurrent earthquakes in the regions of Syria and Türkiye. The Survival Cube is intended for individuals to seek safety in the event of an earthquake until the rescue workers come to their aid. It prevents people from being trapped under rubble and prolongs the victim's survival time as they wait for a response.

The Survival Cube is made out of structural steel with the below properties:

The earthquake Survival Cube is safe, reliable, and highly efficient and can remarkably reduce human death in the event of an earthquake. The Survival Cube has novelty, advanced technology, and a reasonable life-saving structure.

Desktop studies have already been done and our engineers have positive results on how secure this cube is; However, the field test will be conducted during the coming week, to make sure that it is really safe and can save lives during disasters like earthquakes. Emad, Field Ready's director based in Türkiye, said, "Alongside distributing vital aid supplies and in order to address the problem of people sleeping in temporary shelters or cars, members of our field team in Northwest Syria are working on this survival capsule design.”

Thousands are still in a desperate situation without shelter in freezing temperatures and want to return to their homes which are damaged but still standing. We are coordinating efforts with the Syrian Civil Defense, and other local actors over the next few days so that this prototype is tested to assess the level of protection it can provide from aftershocks to allow people to stay indoors; in their homes, or essential services like hospitals and response centers.