In post-disaster collapse environments, the rapid localization of trapped victims is considered crucial to successful rescue operations. IR-UWB (impulse radio ultra-wideband) radar, which is capable of penetrating non-magnetic materials and detecting weak vital signs, is regarded as having significant potential for search-and-rescue applications in disaster scenarios. First, the principles of life detection using IR-UWB radar and its system architecture were introduced. Key hardware technologies, including pulse generation, antenna radiation, and receiver sampling, were analyzed in detail, along with the current status of signal processing methods such as clutter suppression, signal amplification, and vital-sign extraction. Existing shortcomings in rescue applications were then identified, including hardware issues such as low pulse signal amplitude, limited antenna gain bandwidth, and high power consumption, as well as signal processing limitations such as insufficient clutter suppression performance, simplistic signal recognition methods, and low target localization accuracy. Finally, future development directions of IR-UWB radar for disaster emergency rescue were proposed. Hardware performance was expected to be improved through the integration of technologies such as charge pumps, strained silicon, and reflectors, echo propagation models in catastrophic media are to be established, deep learning techniques are to be introduced to enhance the accuracy of vital-sign recognition and localization, and cognitive radar approaches are to be applied to improve adaptability in complex environments.