Amro Al-Akkad, Christian Raffelsberger, Alexander Boden, Leonardo Ramirez, & Zimmermann, A. (2014). Tweeting 'when online is off'? Opportunistically creating mobile ad-hoc networks in response to disrupted infrastructure. In and P.C. Shih. L. Plotnick M. S. P. S.R. Hiltz (Ed.), ISCRAM 2014 Conference Proceedings – 11th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 662–671). University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University.
Abstract: In this paper, we present a system that enables people to post and receive tweets despite disruptions of existing network infrastructure. Our system opportunistically deploys mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) based on Wi-Fi in which people can communicate with each other in a peer-to-peer fashion. A MANET per se constitutes an isolated island, but as people carry devices around that can join other MANETs, eventually people can transport previously collected data to the online world. Compared to other systems that aim to enable communication in crisis, our system differs in two ways: it does not rely on existing network infrastructure, and it exploits established protocols and standards allowing it to run on off-the-shelf, commercially available smartphones. We evaluated our prototype with a group of students and practitioners. Overall, we received positive feedback on the potential of our technology, but also were pointed to limitations requiring future work.
|
Mikael Asplund, Trishan R. De Lanerolle, Christopher Fei, Prasanna Gautam, Ralph A. Morelli, Simin Nadjm-Tehrani, et al. (2010). Wireless ad hoc dissemination for search and rescue. In C. Zobel B. T. S. French (Ed.), ISCRAM 2010 – 7th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: Defining Crisis Management 3.0, Proceedings. Seattle, WA: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: In search and rescue scenarios local information on victims and other finds needs to be disseminated rapidly to other rescue workers and team leaders. However, post disaster scenarios may imply the collapse of information infrastructure including cellular communication and Internet connectivity. Even if we consider wireless ad hoc communication as a means of information dissemination we should count on frequent loss of connectivity in the network due to unpredictable mobility and sparse network topologies. In this paper we present the realization of an existing manycast protocol (random walk gossip) on commodity handheld devices running the Android platform. This communication mode is used to demonstrate the potential for distributed information dissemination on victims and finds. The application layer is an adaptation of an existing surveying information tool (POSIT) which is now fully decentralized and relies on text communication to achieve energy efficiency.
|
Andrea Capata, Andrea Marrella, Ruggero Russo, Manfred Bortenschlager, & Harald Rieser. (2008). A geo-based application for the management of mobile actors during crisis situations. In B. V. de W. F. Fiedrich (Ed.), Proceedings of ISCRAM 2008 – 5th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 219–229). Washington, DC: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: The widespread availability of network-enabled handled devices has made the development of pervasive computing applications an emerging reality particularly suitable for managing emergency/disaster situations. Moreover in emergency management scenarios, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are gaining momentum for their capacity to capture, analyze and manage geo-referenced data. In this paper we discuss an architecture designed to support rescue teams operating in outdoor environments and equipped with mobile devices working in a P2P fashion within a Mobile Ad-hoc Network (MANET). Our system has been designed to effectively address the on-field working persons' need for geographic information that cannot be supplied by conventional paper-based maps. Our approach provides a transparent access to geo-information and to GIS functionalities, and it addresses issues specifically relevant to emergency management scenarios in open fields.
|
Paul Klapwijk, & Leon J.M. Rothkrantz. (2006). Topology based infrastructure for crisis situations. In M. T. B. Van de Walle (Ed.), Proceedings of ISCRAM 2006 – 3rd International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 504–512). Newark, NJ: Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium.
Abstract: Recent terrorist attacks and natural disasters have forced humanity to respond to crisis situations effectively as possible. In these situations especially the first hours rescue workers cannot always rely on existing communication infrastructure. Knowledge about the situation is to be gathered to obtain an aggregate world model of the situation. Decisions can be taken based on this world model. The solution we propose consists of using a Mobile Ad-Hoc Network (MANET), in which the nodes are organized in a topology in order to facilitate the necessary functionalities. Communication between the nodes takes place via a distributed blackboard structure. This architecture supports services developed with the purpose of assisting rescue workers. The agents (humans/sensors) in the network provide data as input to the network. Our approach takes care of processing of this input data to provide users with appropriate information and to obtain a shared world model. As a proof of concept we implemented a prototype of our approach on a number of mobile devices and tested the idea in real life.
|
Abdullah Konak. (2014). Improving network connectivity in emergency ad hoc wireless networks. In and P.C. Shih. L. Plotnick M. S. P. S.R. Hiltz (Ed.), ISCRAM 2014 Conference Proceedings – 11th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 36–44). University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University.
Abstract: Wireless Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs) can to provide first responders and disaster management agencies with a reliable communication network in the event of a large-scale natural disaster that devastates majority of the existing communication infrastructure. Without requiring a fixed infrastructure, MANETs can be quickly deployed after a large-scale natural disaster or a terrorist attack. On the other hand, MANETs have dynamic topologies which could be disconnected because of the mobility of nodes. This paper presents a decentralized approach to maintain the connectivity of a MANET using autonomous, intelligent agents. Concepts from the social network analysis along with flocking algorithms are utilized to guide the deployment decision of agents. Unlike a basic flocking algorithm where all nodes have the same importance, network metrics are used to quantify the relative importance of nodes. Computational results are presented to demonstrate the effect of various local agent behaviors on the global network connectivity.
|
Konstantinos Koufos, Krisztina Cziner, & Pekka Parviainen. (2007). Multicast video performance evaluation for emergency response communications. In K. Nieuwenhuis P. B. B. Van de Walle (Ed.), Intelligent Human Computer Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM 2007 Academic Proceedings Papers (pp. 595–604). Delft: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: Group-oriented services including data dissemination, group calls and real-time video transmission are considered as an important application in public safety communications. The main interest is in one-way real-time video transmission from the hot spot to multiple recipients. This is important for efficient emergency response. The changing topology of the multi-hop communication links in a public safety environment makes routing and multicasting extremely challenging task. The purpose of this paper is to study the performance of wireless mobile ad-hoc networks with one-way multicast video traffic. To consider a realistic public safety scenario, the effect of extensive unidirectional links is investigated. The system performance study of various ad-hoc network configurations is done by simulations. For wireless multicast routing, the On Demand Multicast Routing Protocol is used. The performance results are compared with the requirements provided by Statement of Requirement document of standardization project MESA.
|
Michele Angelaccio, & Daniele Pizziconi. (2008). Adaptive process coordination through mobile file sharing: A crisis management case study analysis. In B. V. de W. F. Fiedrich (Ed.), Proceedings of ISCRAM 2008 – 5th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 242–248). Washington, DC: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: This paper describes an ongoing project that exploits the capability of mobile sharing systems for ad-hoc wireless networks (MANET) operating in a post-emergency scenario. The aim is to support an existing adaptive process management in which users handle multimedia files (e.g. disaster photos) in a nomadic way by exploiting the capability offered by mobile file sharing middleware to reduce the connection time for each nomadic operator performing emergency workflow. The paper compares user activities with and without file sharing capability in order to show the efficiency gain that could be obtained. A preliminary discussion with example of activity diagrams evidences the benefits in terms of workflow efficiency and gives the opportunity in the software project development phase to obtain a more scalable and efficiently performing mobile adaptive process management for crisis scenarios.
|
Kamil Panitzek, Immanuel Schweizer, Dirk Bradler, & Max Mühlhäuser. (2011). City mesh – Resilient first responder communication. In E. Portela L. S. M.A. Santos (Ed.), 8th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: From Early-Warning Systems to Preparedness and Training, ISCRAM 2011. Lisbon: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: Communication between first responders is vital to the success of large scale disaster management. But communication technologies used by first responders today do not scale well due to heterogeneity, point-topoint connections, and centralized communication structures. As the popularity of devices equipped with Wi-Fi grows, the number of access points (APs) in city centers increases as well. This communication infrastructure exists and should be used in city wide disasters as it is readily available in areas with high population density. In this paper, we investigate Wi-Fi access points in 5 major cities deployed in stores, bars, and restaurants. We want to answer the question if these APs can be used as a mesh networking backbone in disaster response. The main contributions of this paper are (i) the surveyed and analyzed public Wi-Fi layout of five major cities and (ii) the connectivity analysis of the city wide network topology.
|
|
Patrick Lieser, Julian Zobel, Björn Richerzhagen, & Ralf Steinmetz. (2019). Simulation Platform for Unmanned Aerial Systems in Emergency Ad Hoc Networks. In Z. Franco, J. J. González, & J. H. Canós (Eds.), Proceedings of the 16th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response And Management. Valencia, Spain: Iscram.
|
Thomas Plagemann, Katrine S. Skjelsvik, Matija Puzar, Aslak Johannessen, Ovidiu Drugan, Vera Goebel, et al. (2008). Cross-layer overlay synchronization in sparse MANETs. In B. V. de W. F. Fiedrich (Ed.), Proceedings of ISCRAM 2008 – 5th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 546–555). Washington, DC: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: Mobile Ad-Hoc Networks maintain information in the routing table about reachable nodes. In emergency and rescue operations, human groups play an important role. This is visible at the network level as independent network partitions which are for some time stable before their members change through merging or partitioning. We use the information from stable routing tables to optimize the synchronization of Mediators in a Distributed Event Notification System. In a stable partition each node has the same information, thus a single Mediator can efficiently coordinate the synchronization, while all other Mediators just receive updates. We show in our experiments that just a few seconds are needed until routing tables stabilize and all nodes have a common view of the partition. We present a heuristic to determine the proper time to synchronize. Furthermore, we show how exceptions, like disappearing coordinating Mediators and unexpected messages, can be efficiently handled.
|
Volkmar Schau, Christian Erfurth, Gerald Eichler, Steffen Späthe, & Wilhelm Rossak. (2011). Geolocated communication support in rescue management. In E. Portela L. S. M.A. Santos (Ed.), 8th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: From Early-Warning Systems to Preparedness and Training, ISCRAM 2011. Lisbon: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: Efficient communication on base of consistent and up to date information is the key factor to cope with hard rescue missions. With the new generation of mobile devices local peer-to-peer communication in conjunction with geolocated information is promising to improve information's quality. Thereby, the routing of information in ad-hoc networks is very dynamic. This contribution, based on work of the SpeedUp project, analyses protocols and presents an approach which combines mobile software agents, routing in ad-hoc networks, and geolocated information to build up a reliable communication infrastructure. The 2MANS simulator allows efficient graphical model building. Geolocated information will be utilized as a map representation to improve the overall situation for unified rescue forces management.
|
Volkmar Schau, Sebastian Scharf, Christian Erfurth, Stefan Hellfritzsch, Gerald Eichler, & Wilhelm Rossak. (2012). Simulation of wireless, self-organizingandagent-based dynamic communication scenarios. In Z.Franco J. R. L. Rothkrantz (Ed.), ISCRAM 2012 Conference Proceedings – 9th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management. Vancouver, BC: Simon Fraser University.
Abstract: The inter-disciplinary research project SpeedUp focuses on an IT framework to support communication and collaboration for mobile rescue forces. Starting with the investigation of methods, organizational structures and strategies a separation of the professional and technical (IT) layers is achieved. In most cases rescue activities are highly dynamic, so the choice of a MANET supports best the application of mobile agents and different routing strategies. Using simulation, a number of representative, location-based scenarios are analyzed and evaluated. © 2012 ISCRAM.
|
Bogdan Tatomir, & Leon J.M. Rothkrantz. (2005). Crisis management using mobile ad-hoc wireless networks. In B. C. B. Van de Walle (Ed.), Proceedings of ISCRAM 2005 – 2nd International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 147–149). Brussels: Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium.
Abstract: In this paper we describe a disaster management system. It is assumed that each individual in the field is equipped with a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) and that can communicate with other PDAs in the vicinity. Together the PDAs form an ad-hoc network. Users can enter their own observations to the PDA, like the position of victims, or a description of the current situation at particular location (e.g. smoke, emergency exits, traffic congestion). This information is entered in a special iconic language. Reversibly, the PDAs inform the users on the overall current situation of the crisis. In order to come to a shared view of the world, the knowledge that is present in the network has to be shared and fused. The proposed way to communicate is via a shared blackboard. This approach facilitates communication in a time and place independent way.
|
Bogdan Tatomir, Leon J.M. Rothkrantz, & Mirela Popa. (2006). Intelligent system for exploring dynamic crisis environments. In M. T. B. Van de Walle (Ed.), Proceedings of ISCRAM 2006 – 3rd International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 288–297). Newark, NJ: Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium.
Abstract: The routing in complex buildings is provided by information systems. But during a crisis situation, these systems may collapse due to certain incidents like an explosion, a fire or sabotage. The task of guiding people in this situation has to be handled in some way. In this paper we present a possible solution to this problem. We use a multi-agent system in a mobile ad-hoc network, without the need of any infrastructure. The main idea of the paper is that just by exploring the damaged building, the data of the changing environment becomes available and the challenge is how to fuse this data from different observers. We focused on the way of building, sharing and merging topological maps, using observations from individuals present in this infrastructure-less network. Besides a more efficient exploration of the building, the system presented in this paper can provide the rescue teams with additional services like finding the nearest exit. Some results of the tests we run with our system are also presented.
|
Eva Törnqvist, Johan Sigholm, & Simin Nadjm-Tehrani. (2009). Hastily formed networks for disaster response: Technical heterogeneity and virtual pockets of local order. In S. J. J. Landgren (Ed.), ISCRAM 2009 – 6th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: Boundary Spanning Initiatives and New Perspectives. Gothenburg: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: As natural and man-made disasters become increasingly common, ensuring effective disaster response, mitigation and recovery is growing into a high-priority task for governments and administrations globally. This paper describes the challenges of collaboration within multi-organisational hastily formed networks for post-disaster response, which are increasingly relying on emerging ICT infrastructures for communication and cooperation. We present an interdisciplinary analysis of the conditions for establishing an effective mutual conversation space for involved stakeholders, and how the development of socio-technological systems affects cognitive and behavioural aspects such as established communities of practice and virtual pockets of local order. Our observations thus far suggest that some of the key issues are overcoming organisational and cultural heterogeneity, and finding solutions for technical interoperability, to ensure effective, pervasive and sustainable information exchange within and between organisations participating in hastily formed networks.
|
Ulrich Walder, Thomas Bernoulli, & Thomas Wießflecker. (2009). An indoor positioning system for improved action force command and disaster management. In S. J. J. Landgren (Ed.), ISCRAM 2009 – 6th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: Boundary Spanning Initiatives and New Perspectives. Gothenburg: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: Managing emergency situations in large buildings and underground structures could be simplified if at any time the positions of on-site emergency crews were available. In this paper a system is proposed which combines inertial measurements of moving persons with building floor plans tagged with information on semantics to achieve a novel level of robust indoor positioning. A speech driven user interface tailored for visualization on head mounted displays makes information easily available for action forces. The system is complemented with a self-configurating communication network based on novel approaches combining mobile ad hoc networks, sensor networks, and professional mobile radio systems to make the locally determined positions available to anybody on-site.
|
