Rapid Post-Disaster Reconnaissance for Building Damage Using Augmented Situational Visualization and Simulation Technology

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This research will develop and implement a new reconnaissance methodology for rapid and accurate quantification of structural damage sustained by buildings during natural and human perpetrated disasters. The proposed technology employs an Augmented Reality (AR) see-through display, a high-accuracy GPS receiver, and a magnetic orientation tracker all connected to a lightweight computing platform. Using in-formation from these sensors, the research will investigate how the proposed system can acquire visual field data via an attached camera and georeference it with computer simulated images in real time. Meth-odologies will then be explored to allow on-site users to superimpose previously stored building informa-tion onto the corresponding view of a real structure in an AR setting and estimate building damage by evaluating the discrepancy between the two views. Techniques will be proposed to permit field users to compute damage indices from the measured differences so that critical decisions about a building's structural integrity and safety can be rapidly made. Furthermore, the research will pursue how feedback information from the actual view of a building can permit users to update structural analysis models and conduct fast-running simulations to explore how a building might collapse if critical structural members fail. The proposed technology will deliver unprecedented capabilities to building inspectors and first respond-ers evaluating damage in the aftermath of catastrophic events such as terrorist attacks and earthquakes in urban areas. In addition, by increasing the speed and accuracy with which building damage may be as-sessed in the aftermath of natural or manmade disasters, the reconnaissance technology developed in this project will provide cost savings and reduce potential hazards and hardships to citizens. The project's educational objectives are intricately related to the research, and include curriculum development and im-provement as well as strategies to recruit and retain the brightest women and minority engineers.