Abstract:
In March of 2014 a committee was formed to investigate ways that the IEEE and volunteers could be of value in disaster response efforts. Through a number of focus groups,...Show MoreMetadata
Abstract:
In March of 2014 a committee was formed to investigate ways that the IEEE and volunteers could be of value in disaster response efforts. Through a number of focus groups, and interviews with presently active non-governmental organizations (NGOs), a working set of needs, and technical specifications to meet them, was produced. In February of 2016, our prototype vehicle, MOVE (Mobile Outreach VEhicle) was completed. At that point we had only supposition as to how well our design would address the needs at a disaster location. We needed to validate the performance of our design, and its usefulness as an adjunct to existing disaster response technologies. Secondarily, it was important to determine how we could mobilize IEEE member volunteers to complete this relief package. This paper reviews our experience at six disaster sites at which the MOVE was deployed in the last year. A great deal has been learned about the problem domain from interacting with victims, NGOs, and governmental agencies. All of these have found the MOVE to be of value in a disaster situation. This paper should prove valuable in developing future plans for our organization, and for others who may wish to replicate this work to some degree.
Date of Conference: 19-22 October 2017
Date Added to IEEE Xplore: 25 December 2017
ISBN Information: