Connie White, Murray Turoff, & Bartel A. Van De Walle. (2007). A dynamic delphi process utilizing a modified thurstone scaling method: Collaborative judgement in emergency response. 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. 7–15). Delft: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: In an extreme event or major disaster, very often there are both alternative actions that might be considered and far more requests for actions than can be executed immediately. The relative desirability of each option for action could be a collaborative expression of a significant number of emergency managers and experts trying to manage the most desirable alternatives at any given time, in real time. Delphi characteristics can satisfy these needs given that anyone can vote or change their vote on any two options, and voting and scaling are used to promote a group understanding. Further utilized with Thurstone's Law of Comparative Judgment, a group decision or the range of acceptability a group is willing to consent to, can be calculated and utilized as a means of producing the best decision. A ubiquitous system for expeditious real-time decision making by large virtual teams in emergency response environments is described.
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John R. Harrald, Theresa I. Jefferson, Frank Fiedrich, Sebnem Sener, & Clinton Mixted-Freeman. (2007). A first step in decision support tools for humanitarian assistance during catastrophic disasters: Modeling hazard generated needs. 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. 51–56). Delft: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: The US has not yet developed adequate models for estimating hazard generated needs, the necessary first step for developing useful decision support systems needed to estimate the capability and capacity of the response forces required. Modeling and technology required to support the decisions made by humanitarian relief organizations requires scenario driven catastrophic planning. This paper documents the lack of effective decision support tools and systems for humanitarian aid and describes the current state of models and methods used for determination of hazard generated needs. The paper discusses work performed on a catastrophic earthquake preparedness project. It outlines how the results of this project will be used to advance the modeling and decision support capabilities of federal, state and local disaster planners and emergency responders.
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Zeno Franco, Nina Zumel, & Larry E. Beutler. (2007). A ghost in the system: Integrating conceptual and methodology considerations from the behavioral sciences into disaster technology research. 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. 115–124). Delft: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: As the complexity of disasters increases, a transdisciplinary conceptual framework designed to address three key variables-technology, disaster severity, and human characteristics-must be developed and elaborated. Current research at the nexus of disaster management and information science typically addresses one or two of these factors, but rarely accounts for all three adequately-thus rendering formal inquiry open to a variety of threats to validity. Within this tripartite model, several theories of human behavior in disaster are explored using the response of the Federal Government and the general public during Hurricane Katrina as an illustrative background. Lessons learned from practice-based scientific inquiry in the social sciences are discussed to address concerns revolving around measurement and statistical power in disaster studies. Finally, theory building within the transdisciplinary arena of disaster management and information science is encouraged as a way to improve the quality of future research.
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Juan Godoy. (2007). A holistic approach to emergency evacuation information support systems. 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. 345–354). Delft: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: In the USA the basic objective of local and state government's Emergency Operations Plans (EOP) is to implement mitigation measures to reduce the loss of life and property damage by the efficient mobilization and deployment of resources. The evacuation of citizens out of harms way either before an impeding disaster or after the occurrence of one is a critical component of any EOP. This document represents a summary of the Evacuation Plan designed for the City of New Orleans. Results of live field exercises conducted during the 2006 Hurricane Season and suggestions for improvement will be highlighted. The ideal Emergency Evacuation Tracking System will be designed to operate within a System of Systems framework with interfaces: to field personnel, emergency managers and logisticians operating in an Emergency Operations Center (EOC), with state and local government systems such as public information emergency hotline (311 Centers in the USA), asset tracking management systems and others.
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Philippe Kruchten, Carson Woo, Kafui Monu, & Mandana Sotoodeh. (2007). A human-centered conceptual model of disasters affecting critical infrastructures. 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. 327–344). Delft: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: Understanding the interdependencies of critical infrastructures (power, transport, communication, etc.) is essential in emergency preparedness and response in the face of disasters. Unfortunately, many factors (e.g., unwillingness to disclose or share critical data) prohibited the complete development of such an understanding. As an alternative solution, this paper presents a conceptual model-an ontology-of disasters affecting critical infrastructures. We bring humans into the loop and distinguish between the physical and social interdependencies between infrastructures, where the social layer deals with communication and coordination among representatives (either humans or intelligent agents) from the various critical infrastructures. We validated our conceptual model with people from several different critical infrastructures responsible for disasters management. We expect that this conceptual model can later be used by them as a common language to communicate, analyze, and simulate their interdependencies without having to disclose all critical and confidential data. We also derived tools from it.
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Siska Fitrianie, Ronald Poppe, Trung H. Bui, Alin Gavril Chitu, Dragos Datcu, Ramón Dor, et al. (2007). A multimodal human-computer interaction framework for research into crisis management. 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. 149–158). Delft: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: Unreliable communication networks, chaotic environments and stressful conditions can make communication during crisis events difficult. The current practice in crisis management can be improved by introducing ICT systems in the process. However, much experimentation is needed to determine where and how ICT can aid. Therefore, we propose a framework in which predefined modules can be connected in an ad hoc fashion. Such a framework allows for rapid development and evaluation of such ICT systems. The framework offers recognition of various communication modalities including speech, lip movement, facial expression, handwriting and drawing, body gesture, text and visual symbols. It provides mechanisms to fuse these modalities into a context dependent interpretation of the current situation and generate appropriate the multimodal information responses. The proposed toolbox can be used as part of a disaster and rescue simulation. We propose evaluation methods, and focus on the technological aspects of our framework.
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Duco N. Ferro, Jeroen M. Valk, & Alfons H. Salden. (2007). A robust coalition formation framework for mobile surveillance incident management. 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. 479–488). Delft: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: Given unexpected incidents on routes of guards that check security objects, like banks, one of the most challenging problems is still how to support improvisation by security personnel in taking decisions to prevent or resolve such incidents. Another as important associated problem is how a security company can naturally take advantage of its existing and novel knowledge about its organizational and ICT infrastructures, and the introduction of a decision support system to help leverage of improvisation by humans. To tackle all this, on the one hand we present a dynamic coalition formation framework that allows the (re)configurations of agents that are associated with joint tasks in situational contexts to be evaluated by appropriate value functions. On the other hand, we present a dynamic scale-space paradigm that allows a security company to distill ranked lists of robust context-dependent reconfigurations at critical scales. We highlight the merits of ASK-ASSIST as a solution to the problem of supporting human improvisation.
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Eli Rohn. (2007). A survey of schema standards and portals for emergency management and collaboration. 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. 263–269). Delft: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: We survey several emergency management related data structures and portals designed or adopted by standard bodies such as Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS) and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), as well as standards designed or adopted by government agencies in the US and in the UK. The survey is by no means an exhaustive list of such standards and portals, but it gives a fair representation of the current state of affairs and resources to practitioners and researchers alike.
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Rosemarijn Looije, Mark A. Neerincx, & Geert-Jan M. Kruijff. (2007). Affective collaborative robots for safety & crisis management in the field. 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. 497–506). Delft: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: The lack of human-robot collaboration currently presents a bottleneck to widespread use of robots in urban search & rescue (USAR) missions. The paper argues that an important aspect of realizing human-robot collaboration is collaborative control, and the recognition and expression of affect. Affective collaborative robots can enhance joint human-robot performance by adapting the robot's (social) role and interaction to the user's affective state and the context. Current USAR robots lack these capabilities. This paper presents theory, application domains, and requirements for affective collaborative robots based on the current state of the art. With methods from cognitive architectures, affective computing, and human-robot interaction, three core functions of affective collaborative robots can be realized: sliding autonomy, affective communication, and adaptive attitude. These robot functions can substantially enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of rescue workers and meanwhile reduce their cognitive workload. Furthermore, robots with such functions can approach civilians in the field appropriately.
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Tomoichi Takahashi. (2007). Agent-based disaster simulation evaluation and its probability model interpretation. 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. 369–376). Delft: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: Agent-based simulations enable the simulation of social phenomenon by representing human behaviors using agents. Human actions such as evacuating to safe havens or extinguishing fires in disaster areas are important during earthquakes. The inclusion of human actions in calculating the damage at disaster sites provides useful data to local governments for planning purposes. In order to practically apply these simulation results, these results should be tested using actual data. Further, these results should be analyzed and explained in a manner that people who are not agent programmers can also understand easily. First, the possibility of applying agent-based approaches to social tasks is shown by comparing the simulation results with those obtained from other methods. Next, we propose a method to present agent behaviors using a probability model and discuss the results of applying this method to the RoboCup Rescue simulation data. These will delve into future research topics for developing agent based social simulations to practical ones.
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Siska Fitrianie, & Leon J.M. Rothkrantz. (2007). An automated crisis online dispatcher. 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. 525–536). Delft: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: An experimental automated dialogue system that plays the role of a crisis hotline dispatcher is currently developed. Besides controlling the communication flow, this system is able to retrieve information about crisis situations from user's input. It offers a natural user interaction by the ability to perceive and respond to human emotions. The system has an emotion recognizer that is able to recognize the emotional loading from user's linguistic content. The recognizer uses a database that contains selected keywords on a 2D “arousal” and “valence” scale. The output of the system provides not only the information about the user's emotional state but also an indication of the urgency of his/her information regarding to crisis. The dialogue system is able to start a user friendly dialogue, taking care of the content, context and emotional loading of user's utterances.
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Mirjam Merz, Valentin Bertsch, Otto Rentz, & Jutta Geldermann. (2007). Assessment of industrial asset values at risk. 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. 235–243). Delft: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: In the event of natural disasters and extreme events like storms, floods and earthquakes, not only people, residential buildings and infrastructure, but also industry can be seriously affected. Direct losses to installations as well as indirect losses e.g. interruption of production can cause severe damage to companies and the economy as a whole. For a comparative and quantitative risk assessment and as a prerequisite for emergency planning and crisis management (e.g. planning of mitigation measures), a financial appraisal of industrial assets at risk is needed. This paper presents the reference installation approach which is a methodology that allows a consistent and transparent assessment of individual industrial asset values. In this bottom up approach due to the consideration of the heterogeneity of various industrial sectors, the obtained results can be depicted for a detailed spatial distribution and on a high degree of accuracy.
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Schreiber. (2007). Automatic generation of sensor queries in a WSN for environmental monitoring. 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. 245–254). Delft: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: The design of a WSN for environmental data monitoring is a largely ad-hoc human process. In this paper, we propose the automatic generation of queries for sensor data extraction, based on the collection of a number of parameters concerning the physical phenomenon to be controlled, the relevant physical variables, the types of sensors to be deployed and their allocation, the data collection frequencies, and other features.
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Ralph A. Morelli, Heidi Ellis, Trishan R. De Lanerolle, Jonathan Damon, & Christopher Walti. (2007). Can student-written software help sustain humanitarian FOSS? 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. 41–44). Delft: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: This paper describes a Humanitarian FOSS (free and open source software) project carried out by a team of students and faculty at Trinity College. The project outcome was a volunteer management module that has recently been incorporated into the Sahana Disaster Recovery IT System. The Humanitarian FOSS movement is based on two premises: (1) that quality humanitarian software can be built and given freely to governments and organizations in need of such software ; and (2) that the FOSS development model can successfully harness the contributions of humanitarian-minded IT and computing professionals. The Trinity Sahana project introduces a third premise: (3) that students and faculty whose main goals are educational and pedagogical can contribute successfully to the Humanitarian FOSS movement. This paper examines these three premises focusing on the question raised by the third.
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Ur?ka Demsar, Olga Patenková, & Kirsi Virrantaus. (2007). Centrality measures and vulnerability of spatial networks. 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. 201–209). Delft: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: Effective management of infrastructural networks in the case of a crisis requires a prior analysis of the vulnerability of spatial networks and identification of critical locations where an interdiction would cause most damage and disruption. This paper presents a preliminary study into how a graph theoretic structural analysis could be used for this purpose. Centrality measures are combined with a dual graph modelling approach in order to identify critical locations in a spatial network. The results of a case study on a street network of a small area in the city of Helsinki indicate that 'betweenness' is the most promising centrality measure for this purpose. Other measures and properties of graphs are under consideration for eventually developing a risk model not only for one but for a group of co-located spatial networks.
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David Mendonça, Yao Hu, & Qing Gu. (2007). Cognitive-level support for improvisation in emergency response. 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. 489–496). Delft: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: Improvisation-serial and purposeful creativity, exercised under time constraint-is an intensely cognitive endeavor. Accordingly, supporting improvisation requires an understanding of the underlying cognitive processes and an identification of opportunities for support. This paper reports on the development of cognitively-grounded computer-based support for improvisation in a simulated emergency response situation. The application is a computational model which attends to traces of group decision processes, analyzes them, and attempts to achieve fit between its own intentions and those of the group. The current architecture and functioning of the model are discussed, along with an overview of the simulation platform. Current and future workin the areas of model validation and evaluation is described. The results of this work strongly suggest that model-based support for improvisation is possible, but that for the time being will be restricted to synthetic situations, of the kind often used in training exercises.
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Hagen Engelmann, & Frank Fiedrich. (2007). Decision support for the members of an emergency operation centre after an earthquake. 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. 317–326). Delft: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: The first three days after an earthquake disaster demand good decisions in a very complex environment. Members of emergency operation centres (EOC) have to make decisions with limited information and under high time pressure. But the first 72 hours of disaster response activities are essential to minimize loss of life. Within the interdisciplinary German Collaborative Research Center 461: “Strong Earthquakes: A Challenge for Geosciences and Civil Engineering” a so-called Disaster Management Tool (DMT) is under development which presents some ideas for appropriate solutions to this problem. One module of the DMT will provide decision-support for the members of an EOC based on the Recognition-Primed Decision (RPD) model, a description of the decision-making process of persons in real-world settings. Options for a reasonable computer-based decision support for the RPD process will be discussed. For this the system combines a simulation of the disaster environment with a multi-agent system (MAS). The simulation shows the results of different decisions so the decision-makers can evaluate them. The MAS calculates a solution for optimal resource allocation taking into account current available information. The goal of the ongoing work is to integrate these instruments into a user-friendly interface considering the real life needs of decision-makers in an EOC.
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Monika Büscher, & Preben Holst Mogensen. (2007). Designing for material practices of coordinating emergency teamwork. 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. 419–429). Delft: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: In this paper we describe the inspiration for, and the design of, prototype technologies that support emergency teamwork. We combine ethnographic studies of material practice, participatory design collaboration with emergency personnel, and knowledge of the potential of ubiquitous computing technologies to 'stretch' the materiality of envi-ronments, persons and equipment. A range of prototypes-products of an iterative, ethnographically informed, participatory design process-are described in a series of scenarios. We conclude with a discussion of potential benefits and challenges our experience raises for socio-technical-material innovation in emergency teamwork.
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Don J.M. Willems, & Louis Vuurpijl. (2007). Designing interactive maps for crisis management. 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. 159–166). Delft: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: This paper describes the design, implementation, and evaluation of pen input recognition systems that are suited for so-called interactive maps. Such systems provide the possibility to enter handwriting, drawings, sketches and other modes of pen input. Typically, interactive maps are used to annotate objects or mark situations that are depicted on the display of video walls, handhelds, PDAs, or tablet PCs. Our research explores the possibility of employing interactive maps for crisis management systems, which require robust and effective communication of, e.g., the location of objects, the kind of incidents, or the indication of route alternatives. The design process described here is a mix of “best practices” for building perceptive systems, combining research in pattern recognition, human factors, and human-computer interaction. Using this approach, comprising data collection and annotation, feature extraction, and the design of domain-specific recognition technology, a decrease in error rates is achieved from 9.3% to 4.0%.
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Eric F. T. Buiël, & Jan Lubbers. (2007). Educational agents for the training of tunnel operators. 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. 545–550). Delft: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: The tunnel operator monitors and regulates the flow of traffic inside a tunnel, and takes actions in case an incident occurs. TNO has developed a training simulator that enables the operator to train incident situations. We are currently improving the simulator by developing intelligent agents that support a qualified operator, who trains himself, without the presence of a human instructor. This paper provides an overview of research activities in this project. In particular, it describes two types of educational agents, the authoritative instructor agent and the non-authoritative companion agent.
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Markku T. Häkkinen, & Helen T. Sullivan. (2007). Effective communication of warnings and critical information: Application of accessible design methods to auditory warnings. 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. 167–171). Delft: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: When a system initiates an auditory warning or alert, detection and correct identification of the information by the human recipient can be influenced by a variety of factors. Examples from aviation and public warning demonstrate instances where messages are ignored, not understood or misinterpreted. The reasons why messages may fail can stem from the design of the message itself, environmental conditions, and sensory or cognitive impairments. Based upon experience from several contexts and from the development of assistive technology for people with disabilities, promising design approaches are being explored in research on warning system design. The importance of multimodal warnings, selection of speech type, and internationalization are discussed.
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Massimiliano De Leoni, Fabio De Rosa, Andrea Marrella, Massimo Mecella, Antonella Poggi, Alenka Krek, et al. (2007). Emergency management: From user requirements to a flexible P2P architecture. 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. 271–279). Delft: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: The most effective way to design an emergency management system matching user needs is to perform a User-Centered Design; it relies on continuous interactions with end-users in order to understand better and better how organizations are arranged during emergencies, which data are exchanged and which steps are performed by organizations to face disastrous events. In this paper we (i) illustrate the methodology used to collect the user requirements for the emergency management system developed in the European research project WORKPAD, and (ii) describe the WORKPAD high level architecture stemming from such requirements. Specifically, the methodology is applied in the context of Regional Civil Protection of Calabria (Italy) and is used as basis to provide more general user requirements for emergency management systems.
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Zhenke Yang, & Leon J.M. Rothkrantz. (2007). Emotion sensing for context sensitive interpretation of crisis reports. 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. 507–514). Delft: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: The emotional qualities of a report play an important role in the evaluation of eye witness reports in crisis centers. Human operators in the crisis center can use the amount of anxiety and stress detected in a spoken report to rapidly estimate the possible impact and urgency of a report and the appropriate response to the reporter. This paper presents ongoing work in automated multi-modal emotion sensing of crisis reports in order to reduce the cognitive load on human operators. Our approach is based on the work procedures adopted by the crisis response center Rijnmond environmental agency (DCMR) and assumes a spoken dialogue between a reporter and a crisis control center. We use an emotion model based on conceptual graphs that is continually evaluated while the dialogue continues. We show how the model can be applied to interpret crisis report in a fictional toxic gas dispersion scenario.
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J. Renze Steenhuisen, Mathijs M. De Weerdt, & Cees Witteveen. (2007). Enabling agility through coordinating temporally constrained planning agents. 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. 457–466). Delft: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: In crisis response, hierarchical organizations are being replaced by dynamic assemblies of autonomous agents that promise more agility. However, these autonomous agents might cause a decrease in effectiveness when individually constructed plans for moderately-coupled tasks are not jointly feasible. Existing coordination techniques can be applied in the pre-planning phase to guarantee feasible joint plans for partially-ordered tasks. Temporal relations in crisis response are often more complex than the simple precedence relations in current work. Therefore, we analyze whether temporal information can be dealt with by a conversion to partially-ordered tasks with only precedence constraints. Time windows and two temporal constraints (overlaps and during) can be rewritten in such a way that the task remains partially-ordered. When other temporal constraints (meets, starts, finishes, and equals) are used, tasks become tightly-coupled, requiring coordination in the execution phase as well. This work shows the applicability of pre-planning coordination as an enabling technology for the effective formation of agile organizations.
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Lucy T. Gunawan, Martin Voshell, Stijn Oomes, & David D. Woods. (2007). Envisioning collaboration at a distance for the evacuation of walking wounded. 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. 431–437). Delft: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: The “walking wounded” is a category of disaster victims that can help themselves in finding their way to safety. The problem we address here is how first responders, walking wounded, and other rescue personnel can coordinate their joint activities more efficiently in order to accomplish the evacuation as quickly as possible. We focus our design on the “coordination loops” in the disaster response organization, both vertically across levels of authority, and horizontally among responders in the same echelon. In our envisioned scenario of a chemical accident we identify the most important interactions through which activities are coordinated that are crucial for a successful evacuation. We propose three different “coordination devices” that can be used by the walking wounded, the rescuers in the fields, and the people in the command center. We believe our approach, explicitly designing support systems for coordination first, will lead to important improvements in the daily practice of disaster response.
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