We have developed a support system to facilitate the rapid and effective collection of disaster information, and we have conducted operational experiments to test the system in Tokyo, Japan. We have named this system the Disaster Information Collection Support System (DICSS); it incorporates the Geographic Information System (GIS) and Information and Communication Technology (ICT). We have added additional functions to the DICSS in order to increase the efficiency of investigation, such as an information sharing function using ad hoc network technology, an information collecting function using a middle-distance laser rangefinder, and an information sharing function using a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag. This improved system is a simple and user-friendly GIS specialized for collecting disaster information; it has been designed so that anyone can use it. It can change the specific data under investigation to accommodate the requirements of each individual situation, from quick inspections to rapid assessments of the safety of buildings to detailed investigations for academic purposes. When a public communications network is rendered nonfunctional by a disaster, the system is capable of securing communication between terminals by ad hoc network. It can collect information on the damage caused to a remote location from an elevated position by using laser rangefinder binoculars. We applied this system to an experiment conducted in Tokyo, Japan and confirmed its validity and effectiveness.
Information Collection Disaster Inspection GIS Laser Rangefinder Ad Hoc Network GPS
A. Shibayama Y. Hisada M. Mirakami M. Endo S. Zama O. Takizawa M. Hosokawa T. Ichii
Expert Researcher, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Tokyo. Japan Professor, Dept. of Architecture, The Kogakuin University, Tokyo, Japan Associate Professor, Dept. of Architecture, The Kogakuin University, Tokyo, Japan Researcher, National Research Institute of Fire and Disaster, Tokyo, Japan Group Leader, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Tokyo, Japan General Manager, Fire and Disaster Management Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communi Sales Executive, Autonomy Corp., Tokyo, Japan