Abstract: In this joint research project, the Chilean side will focus on the following two research and development lines out of the five lines presented in the call: Line 2) Remote technologies and laboratory testing for analysis of landslides generated by earthquakes; and Line 3) Monitoring systems: information flows, technological infrastructure.
The main goal along the line “Remote technologies and laboratory testing for analysis of landslides generated by earthquakes” is to deploy a sensoring system for monitoring and modelling of earthquake-induced rock/soil slides at sites of interest, using Concepción metro area as a test site. This system considers the use of a broadband accelerographic network, pore water pressure, and temperature sensors. We also propose to install at the sites video cameras in the visible and near infrared bands that will enable us to acquire spatial information about the dynamic response of large rock slopes. In addition, the entire monitoring system will exploit broadband wired and wireless communication infrastructures to generate on-line information for monitoring and processing stations in Chile and China. All these instruments, their communication network and the processing stations will enable us to generate geophysical characterizations of the sites, thereby improving our understanding of the dynamic behavior of soils during earthquakes. Remarkably, this effort will bring together researchers from Earthquake Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Telecommunications Engineering, and Video/Image Processing from both countries. The objectives of this line are: (1) Create a fast response scheme for Natural Hazards to aid in the collection of invaluable and perishable information for the events and to produce rapid assessment of on-site critical features that pose imminent risk to population or infrastructure. (2) Integrate multisensor technology to remotely assess the likelihood that a given earthquake will produce significant impact to the population. (3) Use video technology to provide near real-time quality information to decision makers, emergency personnel, and time sensitive information for model improvement to scientists.
The main goal along the line “Monitoring systems: information flows, technological infrastructure” is to develop and deploy an AmI-based earthquake Early Warning System (EWS). To do so, we will restrict the system to a prototype located at UdeC’s main campus, and we will use as a telecommunication infrastructure a 4G/5G TD-LTE broadband wireless technology to be provided by Datang Technology and Industry (DTI) Group. DTI will donate this infrastructure as stated in one of the specific cooperation modes listed in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed last year between DTI, HIT and UdeC. We will deploy the 4G/5G infrastructure in order to broadcast warning messages along the campus and we will also use such infrastructure to deploy video cameras for monitoring the vehicular and pedestrian entrances to the campus. Thus, the AmI-based earthquake EWS will be developed by integrating information from the cameras, the national system of civil protection, the national weather system, seismic sensors, and other sources. All this information will be processed using machine learning algorithms to generate and broadcast early warnings as well as notices to rescue teams, campus security, students, professors, and staff at the Campus. The objectives of this line are: (1) Developing models, algorithms and an architecture of AmI for UdeC’s main Campus, which will support a smart earthquake EWS for the campus. (2) Deploying infrastructure at UdeC’s main Campus to collect information from the environment using a state-of-the-art 4G/5G TD-LTE broadband wireless technology. (3) Implementing an AmI-based earthquake EWS at UdeC’s main Campus to broadcast warnings to students, faculties, and staff, and to send messages to rescue teams.
In addition, in this joint project between HIT and UdeC we have also the following objectives: (1) Establishing a long-term interdisciplinary research cooperation team on managing natural disasters. (2) Developing human resources and promoting the exchange of students and scholar between the institutions. (3) Disseminating the scientific results of this work in the Chilean and Chinese societies.
Besides, the Chinese side in this joint research project, by intercrossing information engineering and earthquake engineering, they will comprehensively study the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, molecular communication technology, artificial intelligence technology, and virtual reality technology to meet the current requirement of seismic disaster information collection, transmission and evaluation. The Chinese side will utilize the scientific advantages of universities in both China and Chile, to collaborate on a sensor-based self-organizing network and information gathering method based on UAV, a method for establishing virtual reality based on artificial intelligence in multi-scale earthquake disaster areas, post-disaster molecular communication and nano-networks, and post-earthquake evaluation methods for multi-dimensional information, and cascading disaster warning and related technologies. The Chinese researchers will use a group of UAVs as the geographic information collection platform to realize the virtual reality establishment in the disaster area. Through comparative analysis between pre-disaster and post-disaster virtual realities, more accurate post-earthquake assessments can be achieved. At the same time, the Chinese side will use molecular communication and nano-networks to effectively solve the problems of post-disaster water quality and air quality monitoring, and further realize post-earthquake evaluation and cascading disaster early warning by the multidimensional information. The research results of this project can provide new technical methods and theoretical analysis for traditional post-earthquake assessment and prevention of cascading disasters, thereby improving the accuracy of post-earthquake information transmission and disaster assessment.
Funding agency: CONICYT/National Science Foundation of China
Program: PCI
Grant number: PII180009 .
Funding period: October 2018 — October 2022.
PI: Jorge E. Pezoa..
Co-PI: Gonzalo Montalva.