Harbinger, a data storage and transmitter co-developed by Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the US subsidiary of Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China. [Photo/xinhuanet.com]

“Harbinger can be separated directly from the tail section of the plane, capture images of the last few minutes before a crash, save a copy of the data and upload it through cloud technology to a satellite. It can also transmit distress signals to rescue teams for rapid positioning,” Sun said. 

But the most attractive part of the system lies in its application of NUAA’s traditional strengths in high altitude rescue technology. 

“Taking into account the existing black box designs that sink with the plane after a crash, we equipped Harbinger with a parachute and inflation system that enables it to stay afloat at sea and protects its hardware when landing on hard surfaces,” Sun added.