Abstract

Tsunami kill many human beings and damages economic activities seriously, such as tsunami caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. It is very important to develop useful modelling and simulation methods for tsunami waves in order to perform the planning and design for the community development and the prevention of disaster. The visualization is also important to understand the power of tsunami and to improve the consciousness of disaster prevention. Recently, the visualization using the virtual reality (VR) technology is becoming more popular for three dimensional numerical simulations.

In this presentation, the modelling, simulation and visualization methods are presented for tsunami waves. The stabilized finite element methods are employed for 2D and 3D tsunami simulations based on the shallow water equation, Boussinesq equation and Navier-Stokes equation. In order to realize an efficient tsunami simulation, a combination method using 2D and 3D models is presented. We also propose a visualization system linked to the evacuation simulation using virtual reality technology to understand the power of tsunami and the importance of the evacuation. The present modelling, simulation and visualization methods are shown to be useful tools to realize the high quality computing for large scale tsunami simulation. 

Abstract

Wednesday, July 12th, 2017. Time: 15h

Place: C-110 Room, UPC North Campus, Barcelona.

Abstract

There is no doubt about the attractiveness of the augmented and virtual reality technologies, also for the largest IT companies but still it is not clear their real value excepting for entertainment, in the videogame industry.

Nevertheless, there are some initiatives trying to show that it could have some room for these technologies in the AEC sector, as not only an expensive and dazzling novelties, but also to be a useful tool.

This talk would like to contribute to this debate. It includes a review of both technologies, describing of two of the most recent devices, HTC Vive and MS Hololens, as well as software, such as unity 3d and Vuforia, used to create AR/VR experiences, and a couple of examples to assess their potential practical use.

CV of the speakers

Mr. Oscar de Coss, is a civil engineer and has recently finished his Master in Structural and Construction Engineering at the UPC with a work entitled "Augmented reality applied to construction".

Ms. Sara Rebollo is currently finishing her civil engineering degree, and is working in a final thesis about how to apply virtual reality experiences to strength the awareness of the workers about the risks in a building site, as a possible activity in the occupational safety and health plan.

Further information

Abstract

The present work makes use the theory of virtual reality in order to analyze and classify the work of Calderón within a concept that defines culture merely as entertainment. This concept regards virtual reality as being in opposition to the concrete, not in opposition to reality. It describes baroque culture as a period of creative experiments on virtual reality within Spanish literature that go beyond a representational function. The origins of this culture are explained by historical problems related to the expansion of the Spanish empire. Finally,it proposes to make use of the concept of virtual reality for a project that organizes the work of Calderón.

Abstract

Abstract

Abstract

Transportation infrastructure systems are vital for the effective, efficient, safe, and sustainable movement of people and goods, and promote the economic development of cities and countries for present and future generations. This article presents pertinent statistics related to mobility, safety, accessibility, equity, reliability, and resilience of transportation systems in the United States (U.S.) and internationally, and present some of the present and future challenges. Safety, congestion, and the human factor are emphasized in combination with innovative ideas and research-based remedial measures at the State and Federal level to mitigate congestion and improve safety for all users. Innovative ideas include the U.S. Federal Highway Administration's Every Day Counts program initiatives, findings from University Transportation Centers (UTC) SAFER-SIM ,and the National Institute for Congestion Reduction (NICR), and the use of driving simulators, virtual reality, unmanned aerial systems and alternative modes of transport such as e-scooters, and the successful management of knowledge transfer of these innovative initiatives at in person seminars and webinars  through the Puerto Rico Transportation Technology Transfer Center.

Abstract

The architecture, engineering, construction and operation industry has high accident rates, and its workers are susceptible to certain risks due to the variability of their worksites, the tasks they perform and the equipment they use. Of particular interest is the coexistence of workers and heavy machinery in the same space, which is one of the main causes of high accident rates. Increasing digitisation also incorporates the use of new systems (e.g. UAVs, autonomous vehicles, robotic devices), which must function while preserving worker safety. As such, worker training is also essential in these contexts. Research indicates that occupational risk prevention training in construction is not satisfactory. Traditional methods based on lectures (where the student does not take an active role) and traditional test-type assessments do not result in significant learning and fail to create a culture of prevention among workers. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the construction industry has had to incorporate new prevention measures to continue projects while protecting workers’ health and safety. Virtual reality has demonstrated advantages in adapting to different contexts, allowing for the agile development of training experiences with immersive characteristics and more significant learning than traditional methods. This research shows the application and agile development of a training experience for social distancing at construction sites to prevent COVID-19 transmission, based on virtual reality and building information modelling and using serious games as a teaching strategy.

Abstract

The increase in crash-related pedestrian fatalities, primarily in urban streets, has promoted the development of technological innovations to mitigate this global problem. This article presents the results of an experiment that used virtual reality technology to study the performance of pedestrians at mid-block crossings of urban streets and the impact of a Road Information Assistance System [RIAS]. The RIAS was simulated as a handheld device that displays warning symbols or a combination of symbols and real-time information about the vehicles approaching the crosswalk to assist pedestrians in making the crossing decision. The experiment simulated a connected urban environment that can receive and transmit data from sensors in the infrastructure, vehicles, and pedestrians [via the RIAS]. The study evaluated the walking speeds, the vehicle gaps selected to cross the street, and the number of successful crossing events with no collisions. Three groups of twelve subjects [no RIAS, simple RIAS, and complex RIAS] were selected. The age and gender of the subjects, as well as the RIAS type used to cross the street, had significant effects on the average walking speed. The distributions of the average gap accepted by each of the three groups, based on the RIAS type, were statistically different. The group that used the RIAS device displaying symbols only had the worst performance and the highest average gap accepted when crossing the street.