2009.08.27
NTT Comware developed "Tangible Disaster Information Management System (Digital Pen Version)"
-- Upgrading the system to be more efficient for headquarters for disaster control. The user-friendly system with higher performance of "handwriting"
NTT Comware (Head office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Michio Sugimoto; hereinafter, NTT Comware) newly developed "Tangible Disaster Prevention Information Management System (Digital Pen Version)" using the digital pen (*3) to integrate information with high operability to upgrade "Tangible Disaster Solution (*2)", the previous version of Tangible User Interface (*1) (hereinafter, TUI) technologies, which has been mainly proposed to municipal governments.
This system covers and displays various information including disaster information, observation results and images collected by the headquarters for disaster control in case of disasters, in the map reflected onto a space such as desktop. The system also allows the users to handwrite or paste papers as if they work on a piece of paper map. Furthermore, the information processed with the system can be used as a digital data to share with others in remote locations.
Background and Challenges
The municipal governments started to introduce the system to collect and share disaster information using GIS (Geographic Information System) with less time in case of disasters in order to update the current situations. Meanwhile, there was an issue that it could be extremely difficult to use personal computers under the adverse situations after disasters. Therefore, a simple and user-friendly system was in need as if the users may work on a paper map, in a traditional fashion.Concept
This system is based on "Tangible Disaster Prevention Solution" as one of the research and development projects of NTT Comware, upgrading the function and configuration for the use of the headquarters for disaster control to collect information they need. The digital pen can be used for any operation. As handwritten texts and illustrations are processed by the technology, the users may use the system using digital information such as GIS as if they use pens and papers.Users, mainly municipal governments, will get benefits of the system for reducing disasters through a quick grasp of situations and information sharing from the natural and simple nature of using pen and paper.
Features
Users will see the map projected onto the dedicated paper or other materials placed on a desk and handwrite texts and illustrations on the map as if they use a pen and paper. The information are processed and managed in a database in a timely order or depending on the type of disasters for users to check and review the digital records, which should also be effective for the future study on anti-disaster measures.Images from monitoring cameras and the points of observation may also be shown in the map on a real-time basis for covering the updated information.
- Handwriting on the map:
The digital pen is available for users to place various icons including disaster type, traffic control, local offices and location of each working team as well as to handwrite the lines to circle the affected areas and draw a line to show roads available for transporting goods or out of service. The dedicated Post-it type papers for handwritten information are also available to place on the digital map as an image. The handwritten information is processed and managed in the digital file for searching necessary information by the disaster type or time-order. The length of lines, areas, address and longitude/latitude are also shown as the digital data. - Database input:
Once it is online, the data handwritten on a worksheet created using the digital pen, by headquarters for disaster control and related organizations in remote locations, can be transmitted to the system to show them on the map image on the desktop to share. - Timeline:
Disaster related information provided by "handwriting on the map" and "worksheet" functions will be collected in the database. The users will use the digital pen to search and check the date and time of the digital data shown in Timeline as necessary.
Terminology
| *1 | Tangible User Interface (TUI) Tangible means "material or substantial" or "capable of being touched". This system provides a new sensory operation for users to experience a whole new feeling proposed by Prof. Ishii, Media Arts & Sciences at the MIT Media Laboratory. This is a new generation interface technology to create a new interactive relationship between PCs and humans. |
| *2 | Tangible Disaster Prevention Solution The disaster solution for simulation of disasters using the icons called PAC or the digital pen, applying TUI technologies. There are two types of systems available including "Tangible General Scenario Simulator for Disasters" for normal states and " Tangible Disaster Information Management System" to manage the information in case of adverse situations resulted from disasters. |
| *3 | Digital Pen (Anote type) The pen-type input device developed by Anote AB, Sweden (http://www.anoto.com). Handwritten forms by the digital pen are captured and filed into the digital file. Handwritten texts and illustrations may be used for data transmission. |