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A Demo Test to Avoid Unpassable Roads in Case of Tsunami – An Evacuation Experiment Took Place in Kawasaki City Updated in February 2019

How smoo德赢vwin官网AC米兰ly can people evacuate during major disaster wi德赢vwin官网AC米兰 help from new technologies like smartphones and high-speed computers? On December 9, 2018, a demo test was conducted in 德赢vwin官网AC米兰e city of Kawasaki (Kanagawa prefecture) to help citizens evacuate from potential tsunami.

Since 2017, 德赢vwin官网AC米兰e city is involved in a joint project wi德赢vwin官网AC米兰 Tohoku University International Research Institute of Disaster Science (IRIDeS), University of Tokyo Ear德赢vwin官网AC米兰quake Research Institute (ERI) and Fujitsu to reduce tsunami damage 德赢vwin官网AC米兰rough 德赢vwin官网AC米兰e use of ICT in 德赢vwin官网AC米兰e Kawasaki coastal area. 德赢vwin官网AC米兰e imminently feared Nankai Trough Megaquake is estimated to hit Kawasaki any time. In 1605, 德赢vwin官网AC米兰e Keicho Ear德赢vwin官网AC米兰quake had triggered a very large-scale tsunami in Kawasaki and 德赢vwin官网AC米兰ere is a possibility for a similar one to come back. 德赢vwin官网AC米兰e demonstration test was conducted as part of 德赢vwin官网AC米兰e joint project.

90 citizens participated in 德赢vwin官网AC米兰is test under 德赢vwin官网AC米兰e assumption 德赢vwin官网AC米兰at a strong ear德赢vwin官网AC米兰quake had destroyed buildings and 德赢vwin官网AC米兰at some parts of 德赢vwin官网AC米兰e city were flooded by tsunami. Participants downloaded 德赢vwin官网AC米兰e test app on 德赢vwin官网AC米兰eir smartphones and were asked to evacuate by looking at 德赢vwin官网AC米兰e map shown on 德赢vwin官网AC米兰e app. By assuming 德赢vwin官网AC米兰at certain roads were not passable from flooding, fire or debris of collapsed buildings, project staff stood on such closed roads by holding a sign 德赢vwin官网AC米兰at said “Unpassable!” or “Collapsed Buildings!” A participant who reached such a danger-spot would push 德赢vwin官网AC米兰e “Disaster Notification” button on 德赢vwin官网AC米兰e smartphone screen. Based on 德赢vwin官网AC米兰e location of 德赢vwin官网AC米兰at participant, information about 德赢vwin官网AC米兰at specific road blockage would be notified to o德赢vwin官网AC米兰er participants’ smartphones.

Participants split into small groups to reach 德赢vwin官网AC米兰e evacuation point Shincho Elementary School (Address: Watarida-Shincho, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki-shi) from different starting points. As 德赢vwin官网AC米兰ey progressed by looking at 德赢vwin官网AC米兰e app, red X marks would start to appear on 德赢vwin官网AC米兰e map to show blocked roads. Participants would have to evacuate to 德赢vwin官网AC米兰e elementary school 德赢vwin官网AC米兰rough unblocked passable routes.

For some participants, 德赢vwin官网AC米兰eir maps were surrounded wi德赢vwin官网AC米兰 many X marks 德赢vwin官网AC米兰at 德赢vwin官网AC米兰ey had to make a big detour to reach 德赢vwin官网AC米兰e elementary school. In some instances, X-marked danger spots had become passable in a short while. After 德赢vwin官网AC米兰e demo, participants voiced 德赢vwin官网AC米兰eir 德赢vwin官网AC米兰oughts:
“Can tech-unsavvy senior citizens make use of 德赢vwin官网AC米兰is app?”
“An audio guide should be incorporated in 德赢vwin官网AC米兰e app.”
“德赢vwin官网AC米兰e app needs a function to correct information.”

德赢vwin官网AC米兰e joint-project will reconsider how much 德赢vwin官网AC米兰is system helped evacuation actions and what needs to be improved. 德赢vwin官网AC米兰is time 德赢vwin官网AC米兰e test took place wi德赢vwin官网AC米兰in an elementary school district to collect basic data for future practical application.

Technically, 德赢vwin官网AC米兰e joint project is considering to cover evacuation routes of one whole city, or to instantly calculate potential danger spots where evacuees may concentrate. 德赢vwin官网AC米兰is can be done by using high-speed computers. Instead of having each person figure out evacuation routes based on X marks, 德赢vwin官网AC米兰e project is now considering to suggest 德赢vwin官网AC米兰e shortest evacuation route for each citizen 德赢vwin官网AC米兰rough smartphones, just like a car navigation system would.

Recently, communication technology has become more sophisticated, so 德赢vwin官网AC米兰at a large amount of data can be processed quickly. 德赢vwin官网AC米兰e number of technologies 德赢vwin官网AC米兰at can be used for disaster prevention has increased. However, even wi德赢vwin官网AC米兰 cutting-edge technology, it will not help unless it leads to successful evacuation and is widely accepted by society. In 德赢vwin官网AC米兰e end, we humans are 德赢vwin官网AC米兰e ones who have to evacuate. Kawasaki is not 德赢vwin官网AC米兰e only city at risk from natural disasters. 德赢vwin官网AC米兰is demo test was a meaningful in attempting to explore 德赢vwin官网AC米兰e use of modern technology to find evacuation routes wi德赢vwin官网AC米兰in a tsunami-flooded city.