Real-time, augmented reality overlays, like street names and landmarks, speed up decision-making during emergency management.
FREMONT, CA : Natural and artificial disasters can devastate environments and make aid delivery challenging. The location may be dangerous and unstable, so life-saving decisions must be made swiftly to reduce hazards and start relief operations. Accurate and fast data collection is necessary to fully understand the disaster. Drones have been used widely in recent catastrophes to quickly find individuals and offer trustworthy photos and data by flying closer to the ground. They construct disaster maps and analyze the damage. Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) can improve catastrophe risk management with drone capabilities because of rapid digitalization.
VR can plan operations before deadly events by creating disaster simulations in digital environments, allowing rescuers to practice as many times as needed until they master life-saving techniques. Drones with cameras, gadgets, and AR might construct alternative maps to help rescuers find essential places. These can locate needy people and survey buildings for critical damage. Virtual reality for events uses 360-degree cameras to simulate attendance in person. Virtual attendees can also interact. VR allows event planners to inspect venues remotely. Augmented reality provides offline context. Engagement and information gaps are positives. AR animates things.
Augmented reality fulfills information needs. Virtual reality currently connects remote audiences to events. Users engage with virtual reality. More important than how users interact is how they feel in that world. Augmented reality merges virtual world elements with the real world, making it more about how users interact with those elements and the real world. Augmented reality is better for commercial, industrial, educational, and medical sectors, whereas virtual reality is better for training and simulation. Virtual reality currently only works with helmets or goggles. Augmented reality has five commercial form factors and one mobile form factor.
Augmented and virtual reality are now widely used in many industries. Drones lead rescues, collect data, provide supplies, and communicate in dangerous places. AR-equipped drones help manage floods, hurricanes, wildfires, landslides, and hazardous material spills. Drones are becoming useful for several reasons. All communities can afford small drones. Drones offer helicopter views at a fraction of the expense. Drones can fly low and survey storm damage. Many search and rescue missions use drones with infrared cameras to find people in the dark. Augmented reality improves emergency management drone efficiency.
AR shows the damage from a drone flying over a blocked or wrecked street. Incident commanders can receive location data promptly. With this intelligence, commanders send aid and resources directly to needy individuals. AR drones aid relief efforts in various ways. Pilots can add notes to residences checked for survivors, including downed power lines, pets, and other important information for incident managers. The priority following a calamity is saving lives and assessing the damage. A tiny drone and AR enable the survival spots. Scout damage and report closed bridges and roadways to the command center.
