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A team of researchers in Waterford Institute of Technology’s TSSG (Telecommunications Software and Systems Group) has been awarded the leadership of SOCITIES a €15.8 million EU project that may revolutionise how emergency services respond in the wake of a disaster.

According to Kevin Doolin, Head of Pervasive Communications Services in TSSG, the project aims to develop new and powerful ways that organisations such as emergency services, individuals and businesses can work, communicate, and socialise.

“Essentially, what we are looking at is ways to combine social networking concepts with “pervasive technology”.  People interact with computers in a multitude of ways on a daily basis without even realising it. Wireless technology brought computing from desktops to all aspects of life through smartphones, laptops, wearable computers and sensors.  Pervasive devices can be put in almost any type of object from cars and appliances to clothing.  This technology is effortless, unobtrusive, intuitive, portable and always available.  It has also become “smart”; for example if you are in a “smart office” and want to print from your mobile device, it will automatically locate and connect to the nearest printer.

“Advances in wireless technology mean that online information and services can be accessed and synchronised remotely.  For example, electronic tags for toll booths, cars that adjust their settings because they recognise a driver’s key; traffic lights that monitor and respond to flows, or phones that provide information based on a users’ location. Until now, pervasive systems have focussed on individuals but the SOCIETIES project will investigate ways to make them work with communities of multiple users.

Socialising and interaction are key aspects of life. When coupled with technology they have successfully allowed people to communicate and collaborate in popular ways from social networking (Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn) to texting and instant messaging to online gaming.

“The SOCIETIES project sees potential for social networking to provide greater sharing of information and improve decision-making for those managing responses to natural disasters. We hope to build on this technology to create integrated Community Smart Spaces (CSS), where people from different groups can access and share a range of useful data. We believe it could benefit emergency services in disaster management teams to manage, respond to, and recover from major catastrophic events more efficiently.

“The flooding and prolonged snow falls of Winter 2009/10 demonstrated how Ireland could benefit from improved civil responses. Other major natural disasters such as the tsunami in Asia, Hurricane Katrina or the earthquake in Haiti resulted in massive damage to roads, airports, railroads, hospitals, fire and police protection, water and other necessities.  In the aftermath, the biggest issue was the speed of rescue and relief operations.  This highlights the problems responders and victims faced in accessing vital resources such as emergency communications, essential supplies and equipment.     

Part of the SOCIETIES project involves working with civil protection experts across the EU to ensure that all trials are realistic. 
“Once complete, we anticipate that CSS technology will be able to link isolated smart spaces/users and help specialists to assess disaster areas and quickly share key details, such as location maps, ensuring the speedy mobilisation of response teams.

“The CSSs for individual response teams, such as field hospitals or search and rescue teams, will automatically update information according to priority. It will do this by analysing the assigned roles, duties, activities and the location of users. We hope that many lives can be saved thanks to the improved accuracy in communications which will increase efficiency, enhance strategic decision making and reduce risks.

“For example, the first people on the scene after a natural or mad-made disaster are local emergency organisations such as the fire brigade, ambulance or police. Using SOCIETIES technology, a CSS would establish a group to quickly share critical information such as danger spots, photographs, trapped victims and so on. Depending on how the situation escalates, higher level groups could join the CSS (e.g regional or national authorities, the army or reserve staff) to monitor the situation and take control at a regional or national level,” he said.

Welcoming the funding award as an endorsement of TSSG’s work, Dr Willie Donnelly, director of TSSG and research director, Waterford Institute of Technology, said: “This funding is especially important at a time of growing pressure on public sector research funding in Ireland as a result of the current economic situation.  One of the primary requirements for receiving funding is that the research must have ‘European added value’, which we are achieving by leading this project with 15 partners across the EU. The award of this funding, following a competitive process, by TSSG researchers is testament to their track record, expertise and creativity.”

Commencing in October 2010, the project is due to run for three and a half years. The funding enables TSSG to collaborate with and draw on the expertise of leading European partners from the private sector such as Intel, NEC, IBM, LAKE Communications (part of the Mitel group), Telecom Italia, and Portugal Telecom Inovação, as well as a number of highly regarded research institutions .  

TSSG researchers are among Ireland’s leading telecommunications and software engineering experts whose work sees them partner with academic and global industry leaders. TSSG conducts research in telecommunications network management and mobile services. TSSG is recognised as one of the top ten European institutes (industry or academic) driving the specification of the Future Internet.

Further information is available at www.tssg.org