VIRTUAL REALITY BASED SYSTEM FOR FLOOD RESCUE MANAGEMENT
2024
Virtual Reality (VR) is an advanced technology that enhances human-computer interaction, offering significant potential across various fields.In flood rescue missions, one of the key challenges is the difficulty in establishing direct communication with affected individuals, particularly from aerial perspectives such as helicopters.Traditional communication systems often fail during emergencies, making it difficult for rescue teams to connect with survivors or provide critical assistance from the air.This paper presents a new Virtual Reality-Based System for Flood Rescue Management (VR-FRM) to address this communication issue.The system uses VR technology to generate realistic virtual environments that simulate real-world flood situations, allowing rescue teams to communicate with survivors through virtual projections and overcoming communication barriers in high-risk environments.A major feature of this VR system is the integration of redirected walking algorithms.These algorithms allow users to navigate small physical spaces while exploring large virtual environments.Redirected walking predicts human movement and guides users away from the boundaries of their physical space, ensuring a smooth and immersive experience.Conventional virtual environments typically rely on simple straightline paths between waypoints, but these do not account for the natural deviations in human movement.The VR-FRM system employs a projection system that simulates communication between helicopters and individuals on the ground, enabling interaction with those stranded in flood zones.The system tracks the real-time positions of both the rescue teams and victims, delivering messages or alerts when individuals reach specific virtual locations.This functionality is particularly useful for directing survivors to safe zones or sharing crucial rescue information when direct communication is not possible.The system operates in a hybrid environment,