Looking to social media platforms for information, researchers from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid have presented a prototype of a multi-device system that can involve citizens in managing emergencies. Phys.org brought this information to our attention in their article, “New multi-device system for handling emergencies with information from social networks.

The system can be used through a smart tabletop and can identify individuals in the area of the hazard and communicate directly with them. Gathering information about which citizens are in the area and what role they have is superimposed on the view operators have at the control center. This enables the potential for collaboration and increasing the scope of response.

Volume of data can be a challenge. The problem lies in making critical decisions taking into account the volume and quality of the information spontaneously posted in social networks.

Part of the technology includes an intelligent tool that can compile, analyze and extract relevant information. The system addresses the relevance of the information via an innovative method based on ontologies, which enables filtering and extracting according to semantics.

Melody K. Smith

Sponsored by Data Harmony, a unit of Access Innovations, the world leader in indexing and making content findable.