Development of aerial photographing system with throwing device for disaster information gathering
Recently, as a disaster information gathering tool, aerial photographing devices which gather photos and videos from the air get much attention. Especially, the aerial photographing method at low altitude below 15 meters is important to the disaster information gathering. As these devices, there are helium gas balloons, radio-controlled helicopters, and pole/crane vehicles. However, these devices have risks that trigger accidental contact and crackup by air stream at low airspace. In order to improve the safety of these devices, in this paper, we have developed a throw type photographing system which consists of an automatically photographing device packaged in a plastic capsule egg and a launching device. The attitude of the photographing device is controlled by the microcomputer with acceleration, gyro and compass sensors. These sensors also used to estimate the time when the device reaches the top of air. Moreover, we have shown the effectiveness of the proposed system by shooting aerial photographs in practice.
Problem Analysis and Solutions of Information Network Systems on East Japan Great Earthquake
East Japan Great Earthquake on March 11 in 2011 caused severe damages over the wide area of Northern Japan. A massive 9.0 earthquake destroyed many buildings and information systems, and a devastating tsunami swept over cities and farmland in the northern part of the country and set off warnings as far away the west coast of the United States and South America. Also, the large-scale earthquake brought the secondary disasters such as blackout, fire, and nuclear crisis. Many information network systems are also severely damaged with the East Japan Great Earthquake. Compared with the recent historical severe earthquakes in Japan such as Hanshin-Awaji Great Earthquake in 1995 and Chuetsu Earthquake in 2004, there were many different types of problems because of the recent highly developed information society. They were the congestion of cellar phone, the lack of fuels and electricity, and so on. In this paper, the problems of information network systems on East Japan Great Earthquake are analyzed, and the solutions of these problems are discussed. Through our network reconstructing activity just after the earthquake, the connection of information network is the most important other than throughput or latency for disaster information system. In fact, satellite system, wireless LAN, and cognitive wireless system were useful for the reactivating network connection in the disaster area.
Predicting Evacuation in Two Major Disasters: Risk Perception, Social Influence, and Access to Resources
The complex and somewhat bewildering phenomenon of why people sometimes decide not to evacuate from a dangerous situation is influenced by a combination of individual characteristics and 3 basic social psychological processes: (a) risk perception, (b) social influence, and (c) access to resources. This study used a combined sample of 777 adults interviewed after Hurricanes Hugo and Andrew. Although numerous variables significantly predicted evacuation, much variance in this behavior still remained unexplained. Different population subgroups gave different reasons for not evacuating (e.g., severeness of storm, territoriality). A multifaceted and tailored approach to both individuals and communities is needed; a simple warning is often not enough.