IMMERSIVE AUGMENTED REALITY SYSTEM TO STUDY THE EFFICIENCY OF DYNAMIC EXIT SIGNAGE

Every year, many disasters occur to buildings causing their destruction and leading to huge casualties. One way of preventing casualties is by evacuation drill activity. Although accurate evacuation drills could enhance the efficiency of the process during the real event, these drills are not fully effective because participants miss the sense of being stressed or under pressure while in action. Several gaming concepts have been introduced to train the participants on how to cope with and evacuate effectively during an emergency. For instance, Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) interfaces could provide virtual content to enhance the effectiveness of evacuation drills. However, accurate representation of different evacuation scenarios and its impact analysis during emergency using the above technologies are still debatable, mainly due to immersion quality. Thus, this study proposes an Immersive Augmented Reality (IAR) application that is mainly the amalgamation of AR and VR in realizing fast and safe evacuation during on-site building emergencies. A virtual dynamic exit signage system is also developed in the proposed “Smart Evacuation application“. This work evaluated the efficiency of a virtual dynamic exit signage and also a proposed “Smart Evacuation“ system by analysing on-site emergency evacuation processes. By setting up various scenarios imitating real life disasters, this research analysed the time taken and level of stress of the occupants during the evacuation of a chosen site. The proposed “Smart Evacution“ achieved 33.82% better perfomance compared to normal evacuation thus indicating a faster and safer evacuation. ABSTRAK: Secara statistik, kebanyakan bencana kemusnahan bangunan yang berlaku setiap tahun telah menyebabkan kerugian besar. Salah satu cara bagi mengelak kejadian ini adalah melalui aktiviti latih tubi evakuasi. Walaupun latih tubi evakuasi ini dapat menambah proses kecekapan semasa kejadian sebenar, latih tubi ini tidak benar-benar berkesan kerana peserta kurang mendalami perasaan tertekan atau di bawah tekanan semasa kejadian. Pelbagai konsep permainan telah diperkenalkan bagi melatih peserta bagaimana perlu bertindak dan evakuasi secara efektif semasa kecemasan. Sebagai contoh, antarmuka Realiti Terimbuh (AR) dan Realiti Maya (VR) mungkin dapat menghasilkan simulasi secara maya bagi menambah keberkesanan latih tubi evakuasi. Walau bagaimanapun, ketepatan representasi pelbagai senario evakuasi dan analisis tekanan semasa kecemasan menggunakan teknik-teknik di atas adalah masih boleh dipertikaikan terutama kerana kualiti kedalamannya. Oleh itu, kajian ini mencadangkan aplikasi Realiti Terimbuh Mendalam (IAR) di mana tumpuan adalah pada kombinasi AR dan VR dibuat dengan secara evakuasi pantas dan selamat semasa kecemasan pada bangunan kejadian. Sistem maya penunjuk arah keluar dinamik turut dicipta dalam “Aplikasi Evakuasi Pintar” yang dicadangkan ini. Kajian ini menilai keberkesanan sistem maya penunjuk arah keluar secara dinamik dan juga sistem “Evakuasi Pintar” dengan menganalisa proses evakuasi kecemasan pada tempat kejadian. Dengan mengadakan pelbagai jenis senario dan meniru bencana sebenar, kajian ini menganalisa masa yang diambil dan tahap tekanan penghuni bangunan semasa proses evakuasi berlaku pada tapak pilihan. “Evakuasi Pintar” ini mencapai 33.82% keberkesanan pada prestasi berbanding evakuasi biasa. Ia membuktikan proses evakuasi ini lebih pantas dan selamat.

An Interdisciplinary Agent-based Evacuation Model: Integrating Natural Environment, Built environment, and Social System for Community Preparedness and Resilience

Previous tsunami evacuation simulations have mostly been based on arbitrary assumptions or inputs adapted from non-emergency situations, but a few studies have used empirical behavior data. This study bridges this gap by integrating empirical decision data from local evacuation expectations surveys and evacuation drills into an agent-based model of evacuation behavior for a Cascadia Subduction Zone community. The model also considers the impacts of liquefaction and landslides from the earthquake on tsunami evacuation. Furthermore, we integrate the slope-speed component from Least-cost-distance to build the simulation model that better represents the complex nature of evacuations. The simulation results indicate that milling time and evacuation participation rate have significant non-linear impacts on tsunami mortality estimates. When people walk faster than 1 m/s, evacuation by foot is more effective because it avoids traffic congestion when driving. We also find that evacuation results are more sensitive to walking speed, milling time, evacuation participation, and choosing the closest safe location than to other behavioral variables. Minimum tsunami mortality results from maximizing the evacuation participation rate, minimizing milling time, and choosing the closest safe destination outside of the inundation zone. This study's comparison of the agent-based model and BtW model finds consistency between the two models' results. By integrating the natural system, built environment, and social system, this interdisciplinary model incorporates substantial aspects of the real world into the multi-hazard agent-based platform. This model provides a unique opportunity for local authorities to prioritize their resources for hazard education, community disaster preparedness, and resilience plans.

Community preparedness for volcanic hazards at Mount Rainier, USA

Lahars pose a significant risk to communities, particularly those living near snow-capped volcanoes. Flows of mud and debris, typically but not necessarily triggered by volcanic activity, can have huge impacts, such as those seen at Nevado Del Ruiz, Colombia, in 1985 which led to the loss of over 23,000 lives and destroyed an entire town. We surveyed communities around Mount Rainier, Washington, United States, where over 150,000 people are at risk from lahar impacts. We explored how factors including demographics, social effects such as perceptions of community preparedness, evacuation drills, and cognitive factors such as risk perception and self-efficacy relate to preparedness when living within or nearby a volcanic hazard zone. Key findings include: women have stronger intentions to prepare but see themselves as less prepared than men; those who neither live nor work in a lahar hazard zone were more likely to have an emergency kit and to see themselves as more prepared; those who will need help to evacuate see the risk as lower but feel less prepared; those who think their community and officials are more prepared feel more prepared themselves; and benefits of evacuation drills and testing evacuation routes including stronger intentions to evacuate using an encouraged method and higher self-efficacy. We make a number of recommendations based on these findings including the critical practice of regular evacuation drills and the importance of ongoing messaging that focuses on appropriate ways to evacuate as well as the careful recommendation for residents to identify alternative unofficial evacuation routes.

Virtual Fire Evacuation Drills through a Web-Based Serious Game

Evacuation capacity is very important in building fire. In order to improve the safety evacuation capacity of occupants, a web-based serious game for virtual fire evacuation drills is proposed. As a prototype of the serious game, a stand-alone system for virtual drill had been developed. On this basis, the system framework of the serious game is first designed for web-based training, including the database, front and back ends. Secondly, an optimization solution including fire scenes and web codes is designed for smooth rendering performance. Lastly, a solution is designed to visualize the evacuation paths of numerous trainees, which can be used to reveal the evacuation rules, and an evaluation model of evacuation performance is created considering the features of evacuation paths and fire hazards, to provide comprehensive feedback for trainees. Thus, a convenient and accessible web-based serious game was developed. More than 100 people participated in the online virtual evacuation drill of a dormitory building fire. Through the drills, the average evacuation time of the trainees decreases from 79.77 s to 54.32 s, and the safety scores of the trainees improve from 74.71 to 81.21. Therefore, the evacuation abilities of trainees gradually improve, which demonstrates the effectiveness of the drill. Consequently, virtual fire drills using a web-based serious game can play an important role in improving the evacuation ability.

School Community Preparedness in Anticipation of Earthquake and Tsunami Threats in Temon Sub-District

The Kulon Progo Regency is a region prone to earthquake and tsunami, including on the coastal of Temon Sub-District. The study aims to determine: (1) school preparedness in Temon Sub-District in anticipating of the earthquake and tsunami threat, and (2) school efforts in Temon Sub-District in improving the preparedness of the earthquake and tsunami disaster. This study used descriptive research. The population of this study is all high schools in Temon Sub-District that enter the area prone to earthquake and tsunami disaster, which is used as a research analysis unit. The sampling technique used simple random sampling and calculated using the Slovin formula with a 10% error rate which results in a total sample of 6 principals, 84 teachers, and 177 students. Data collection techniques in this study are observation, interviews, and documentation. The research data presented in a frequency distribution table and analyzed descriptively. The results of the study showed: (1) school preparedness in Temon Sub-District from the schools aspect in “not ready” category (50.0%), the teachers aspect in “ready” category (42.9%), and the students aspect in “ready” category (44.1%). (2) Efforts to improve the preparedness of the earthquake and tsunami disaster carried out by schools in Temon Sub-District, including: (a) conducting disaster evacuation drills through scouting and PMR activities in schools, (b) holding regular disaster socialization and simulation routinely, (c) improving the quality and quantity of school facilities.

Using Evacuation Drills to Improve Tsunami Evacuation Preparedness and Resilience

This paper presents the use of tsunami evacuation drills within a coastal community in the Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ) to better understand evacuation behaviors and thus to improve tsunami evacuation preparedness and resilience. Evacuees' spatial trajectory data were collected by Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) embedded mobile devices. Based on the empirical trajectory data, probability functions were employed to model people's walking speed during the evacuation drills. An Evacuation Hiking Function (EHF) was established to depict the speed-slope relationship and to inform evacuation modeling and planning. The regression analysis showed that evacuees' speed was significantly negatively associated with slope, time spent during evacuation, rough terrain surface, walking at night, and distance to destination. We also demonstrated the impacts of milling time on mortality rate based on participants' empirical evacuation behavior and a state-of-the-art CSZ tsunami inundation model. Post-drill surveys revealed the importance of the drill as an educational and assessment tool. The results of this study can be used for public education, evacuation plan assessment, and evacuation simulation models. The drill procedures, organization, and the use of technology in data collection provide evidence-driven solutions to tsunami preparedness and inspire the use of drills in other types of natural disasters such as wildfires, hurricanes, volcanoes, and flooding.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging–Guided Cardiac Catheterization Evacuation Drills

Background The interventional cardiac magnetic resonance imaging suite combines a cardiac catheterization x-ray laboratory with a magnetic resonance imaging suite. At the study institution, interventional cardiac magnetic resonance imaging procedures (ie, magnetic resonance imaging–guided cardiac catheterizations) have been performed under institutional review board–approved research protocols since 2015. Because the workplace incorporates x-ray and magnetic resonance imaging in a highly technical environment, education about the importance of magnet safety is crucial to ensure the safety of patients and staff. Objective To promote magnetic resonance imaging safety and staff preparedness to respond in emergency situations in a specialized interventional cardiac magnetic resonance imaging environment. Methods Quarterly in situ evacuation drills with a live volunteer were implemented. A retrospective participant survey using a Likert scale was conducted. Evacuations were timed from the cardiac arrest code alert to safe evacuation or defibrillation if appropriate. Results Over 4 years, 14 drills were performed. Twenty-nine of 48 participants responded to the survey, a 60% response rate. Most participants agreed or strongly agreed that the drills were a positive experience (90%) and that the drills increased their confidence in their ability to perform in an evacuation scenario (100%). Room evacuation times improved from 71 to 41 seconds. No patient or staff safety events occurred in the interventional cardiac magnetic resonance imaging environment. Conclusion Magnetic resonance imaging–guided cardiac catheterization evacuation drills promote preparedness, ensure patient and staff safety, and improve evacuation time in the interventional cardiac magnetic resonance imaging environment.

Storm Surge Awareness and Intended Evacuation in Low-Lying Areas of Tokyo City

Japan is a country that is normally considered to be well protected against storm surges, with the population aware of the potential consequences of such events. However, the inundation caused by typhoon Jebi in 2018 at Osaka Bay has highlighted that there is a significant risk of flooding in many areas. In the present paper the authors conducted questionnaire surveys with the aim to gauge the level of storm surge awareness and intended evacuation behaviour of the population of low-lying areas of Tokyo City. The results indicate that respondents have a high awareness regarding storm surges, but lower actual knowledge about the risk in their area and the evacuation plan. Respondents who have higher risk awareness about storm surges often had participated in evacuation drills, and those who knew about the inundation map tend to indicate that they would perform long-distance evacuation. It was also found that respondents who are in their 30s have lower awareness than other age groups. Keywords: storm surge; awareness; natural hazards; Japan; intended evacuation behaviour