Messaging device through the ground

Young man Alex Kendrick, 16, who lives in New Mexico, USA, has invented a device to help communicate from the cave, moving to the ground easily.

Kendrick's device includes a pager, a rubber keyboard, a receiver antenna, and a low-frequency radio broadcast.

In this wave, the signal emitted from Kendrick's device could penetrate soil and rock more easily than high-frequency transmitters.

When not in use, the antenna can be folded neatly in a backpack, when used, it is flown out, wrapped around the frame of the PVC pipes.

When testing at Carlsbad Cave, American National Park, New Mexico State, at a depth of about 300 meters, Kendrick sends the message 'happy', then the ground pager receives the word 'appy' , missing an 'h'.

Although not perfect, Kendrick's pager set a record, becoming an underground communications device in an unprecedented depth. With this invention, Kendrick was awarded a $ 21,000 prize in the International Science Fair competition.

Kendrick's idea was appreciated for opening the prospect of underground rescue work. In 1991, the 170 rescue team took four days to save a woman who broke her leg during a collapse in New Mexico.

The local rescue team leader commented: 'If the victim has Kendrick's pager, the rescue time will be halved. That is enough to make the difference between life and death. '

Kendrick and 'staging' low frequency transceiver antennas.

Kendrick's invention includes: pager, screen, keyboard .

The cave explorers test pagers under Carlsbad dynamics.

Pager screen.