Incident management system merges real and virtual worlds for maximum security and control

(30/07/2007)

SimGuard is Rontal's incident management and business continuity system, which merges the real and virtual worlds for maximum security and control. Rontal Applications Ltd has announced an extension of SimGuard's crowd behavior prediction module.

The new extension further enhances SimGuard's Crowd-behavior Scenarios Database (CDB) and improves the system's ability to predict crowd behavior during evacuation for planning and training purposes, as well as command and control in real time emergency situations. The system displays animated virtual crowd in a virtual evacuation, for better decision-making.

The extended module enhances the ability to locate, in advance, potential bottlenecks during evacuation, when every second counts and blocked escape ways or doors can result in a catastrophe, due to human panic or disorder. The extended module calculates possible damages to pre-planned evacuation routes, due to the impact of hazardous factors, such as a bomb, fire, smoke, gas leak, etc.

The organization's chief security officer (CSO) or SimGuard's operator can run any combination of crowd volume, availability of routes and parameters characterizing the nature of the specific scenario (such as average ages, people with disabilities, possible level of panic, etc.).

Storing these scenarios into SimGuard's Crowd-behavior Scenarios Database enables the CSO and the operator to get the most accurate prediction of crowd behavior at any time, while the parameters are updated automatically by the real-time sensors, such as access control, for accurate definition of the number of people at the site.

SimGuard superimposes real-time incidents over a 3D geospatial presentation of the client’s facilities and campuses, including the integration of advanced analytical algorithms such as crowd behavior, blast effect and fire propagation. Essentially, SimGuard is an interactive decision support tool for key personnel at all levels – from operators to executives.

In the first phase, SimGuard builds a virtual site of the real facility, assesses the vulnerability of each part of the site, and creates "what if" scenarios for future incidents. In the second phase, SimGuard gathers information from various sensors and displays it on a situational awareness display. Concurrently, a virtual-world screen fuses all the information and shows a multilayered display of pipes, electricity cables, phone cables, specific routes, etc., allowing the operator to make a virtual tour of any floor.

During an incident, SimGuard retrieves the relevant incident management scenario, enabling optimal command and control, handling the event in real-time. The interaction between the real and virtual worlds allows maximum control and optimal emergency step-by-step guidance.

"Planning and controlling mass evacuation in an emergency situation is of utmost importance," said Roni Zehavi, Co-founder and CEO of Rontal. "A safe and orderly evacuation can save lots of lives, and anticipating crowd behavior and bottlenecks is the key to successful evacuation management."

Related topics:  Fire detection and alarm   Public Address system   Safety and protection systems 

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