Miwa Kuri

The prospect of online communication in the event of a disaster

In modern society, enormous amounts of information are instantly exchanged, and topics shift rapidly. People desire and share information to foster a sense of membership in their societies. The trend of Internet communication is present in many types of groups. During the circumstances of disasters, the 2011 Great East Japan earthquake and Tsunami and Typhoon Haiyan (local name, Yolanda) in the Philippines in 2013, social networking services (SNS) constituted a considerably effective method for sharing/exchanging information about the significance of the disaster, confirming family members’ and friends’ whereabouts, locating shelters, relief, food and goods rationing, and so on. Not only did individuals seek/provide information, but government agencies also utilized the social media channels to communicate with the public. Hence, developing and adopting communication in a virtual space were considerably effective for decision-makers in providing emergency services. This study examined SNS users’ accounts based on discretionary decisions during two major disasters: the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami in 2011 and Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines in 2013. In the case of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami in 2011, government agencies and NPOs actively utilized SNS functions, whereas the mass media distributed information during Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines in 2013.

Field report: Autonomous lake bed depth mapping by a portable semi-submersible USV at Mt. Zao Okama Crater lake

This work presents a design and a field test result of a small USV system that has portability and wind tolerance for a lake bed depth mapping of volcanic crater lakes. The depth map of the crater lakes indicates an amount of water, crater wall caving, and volcanic upthrust, which is used for volcanic disaster prevention. However, todayfs depth surveillance is achieved by using a manned canoe on a lake in high-altitude, strong-winded, and restricted areas. This research is aiming to realize the autonomous Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) for volcanic crater lake surveillance in reducing risks to surveyors. In this research, the authors have developed the lightweight semisubmersible USV system with a high draft that has portability and wind tolerance. The result of a field test at Mt. Zao Okama Crater Lake is shown. A depth map of the north half of the Okama Crater Lake was autonomously measured by using the USV system.

Development of Teleoperated Mobile Robot for Fumaroles Exploration

Fumaroles exploration is effective investigation for prediction of volcanic eruption. However, until now, fumaroles observation is basically conducted by human, and it is very dangerous work, because of phreatic explosion and toxic gas. Therefore, we aim at developing a teleoperated mobile robot that observes fumaroles in a volcanic area, instead of human. In this paper, we propose a scenario of fumaroles observation by a robot, and introduce our prototype of teleoperated mobile robot for the observation. In addition, we report our initial test conducted in a real volcanic field in Izu-ohsima Island.