The Georgia Tech Institute for People and Technology leads a Humanitarian Systems initiative is focused on developing novel communication and information, building safety and shelter, healthcare, and security technologies to aid communities during disaster and crisis situations. This session will examine the role of sensors, computers, and communications in social and political development with the aim of building systems that support communities as they overcome significant challenges. From the perspective of science the session will address three areas of potential advancement to technology that will aid in prediction and recovery from disaster.
One area of discussion is prediction and preparation for natural and human disasters will involve the combination of intelligence, environmental sensing, and human social awareness and response. There are emerging opportunities for algorithms that provide advanced warning from massive data collections
involving regional intelligence or environmental trends, large scale sensing, and human social networking. Given a disaster situation there is additional opportunity to develop new sensors that
detect human victims, structural safety, and danger to first responders. Finally, future smart buildings may include biologically inspired design and low cost sensing to provide increased resiliency to natural disasters. The science behind such opportunity is in large scale sensing and analysis of massive data sets.
