Simulation for bushfire safety

Project Title:

Simulation for Bushfire Safety

Supervisor/s:

Peter Vamplew, Andrew Stranieri, Cameron Foale, Kathleen Keogh, Evan Dekker and Leigh Achterbosch

Contact Person:

Peter Vamplew p.vamplew@federation.edu.au

Project Brief:

The Victorian Fire Safety plan recommends that householders prepare a bushfire plan that is based on a ‘stay and fight’ or a ‘leave early’ response in advance of imminent risk. However,  on days of imminent danger, many householders do not act in accordance with plans previously formulated. The aim of this study is to design a smart simulation environment where householders can gain experience in making self-evacuation decisions with the use of virtual and augmented reality technologies. In this proposed research participants will play the role of members of a household in an interactive digitally simulated environment. Participants will receive information about an impending fire from diverse sources including radio reports, an emergency web site, telephone, social media sites, television and neighbour alerts. The information pertains to weather, fire,  fire-fighting responses, road blockages and other warnings and alerts. The participants must make evacuation decisions.