Lesley Hanna, Sira Technology Ltd. Stephen Hailes, University College, London

1. RUNES presentation to MESA:Reconfigurable Ubiquitous Networked Embedded Systems in Emergency Situations Lesley Hanna, Sira Technology Ltd. Stephen Hailes, University College, London

2. Structure of presentation • The RUNES project – what it is doing and why • How RUNES envisages that the technology might be used to improve safety and assist emergency workers • The road tunnel fire scenario used by the project

3. The RUNES project • An Integrated Project supported by the European Community Framework 6 scheme • 32 months, €10.5M budget • 22 partners from 7 countries

4. Partners Academic partners Industrial partners sira Non-profit research institutes

5. What does RUNES stand for? Reconfigurable: reorganise and change functionality Ubiquitous: exist in many locations (remote/hostile) Networked: exchange information with each other Embedded System: tied hardware & software integration

6. Project vision Provide a standardised architecture that enables the creation of large-scale, widely-distributed, heterogeneous networked embedded systems that inter-operate and adapt to their environments

7. Sensor networks • Only 2% of microprocessors end up in PCs • The rest can be found in a huge variety of devices • If we can network these devices together there are tremendous technical possibilities

8. operating systems networks radio compilers control hardware • network-based services • telecoms • emergency management • cable TV • factory automation • process control • robotics • energy distribution • medical devices • automated sales • transport • space • avionics • automotive • trains • fleet management • consumer electronics • home appliances • personal navigation • cellular phones • digital cameras • smart cards • toys Embedded systems technologies tools/platforms Embedded systems technologies applications

9. Project technical goals • Build middleware systems that are adaptive, self-organising and robust Middleware: A communications layer that allows applications to interact across hardware and network environments

10. Project technical goals • Build middleware systems that are adaptive, self-organising and robust • Develop tools to assess usability and allow debugging

11. Project technical goals • Build middleware systems that are adaptive, self-organising and robust • Develop tools to assess usability and allow debugging • Demonstrate how systems will work in the ‘real world’

12. A RUNES output A wireless gateway node with WLAN, Bluetooth and Zigbee connectivity

13. Real world examples • RUNES has selected a number of application scenarios in order to investigate more thoroughly the application of the technology to real-world examples • The most important scenario under investigation is that of fire in a road tunnel

14. European perspective It is clear that the risk of serious fires in tunnels has significantly increased in recent years. Insufficient co-ordination has been identified as a contributory factor to accidents in transboundary tunnels. Moreover, recent serious accidents show that non-native users are at greater risk of becoming a victim in an accident, due to the lack of harmonisation of safety information, communication and equipment. Proposal for a DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on minimum safety requirements for tunnels in the Trans-European Road Network. 2002/0309 (COD)

15. European perspective • Prevention of incidents • To prevent events that endanger human life, the environment and tunnel installations • Reduction of their consequences • To provide the ideal pre-requisites to: • Enable people involved in the incident to rescue themselves • Allow immediate intervention of road users to prevent greater damage • Ensure efficient action by emergency services • Protecting the environment • Limiting material damage

16. Tunnel fire 1999 • Wednesday morning, March 24, 1999, 10.46 AM Belgian Gilbert Degraves, 57, a truck driver for 25 years drives his Volvo FH12 tractor trailer and a refrigerated trailer loaded with 9 tons of margarine and 12 tons of flour for Italy past the toll at the French side. Within 14 minutes, 39 people died, almost all in their cars Accounts on the web suggest that firefighters entered regardless • CHRISTIAN COMTE, fire brigade chief, Chamonix: “On the day of the fire we are called for smoke in the tunnel, just one lorry, but nobody knows exactly what happened.”

17. Issues • These sorts of major incidents are rare so it is difficult to train and expensive to equip fire brigades • Multi-agency responses are required, many from volunteers • Terminology is not standardised • Equipment is not standardised

18. Technology today • Sensors and embedded systems are pervasive • Tunnel • Cars • People • They can be networked • They can be standardised

19. Technology today • Firefighters and other emergency workers can therefore • Query the status of the network in advance • Visualise the information • Change the environment via actuators • Communicate with victims

20. Potential uses of RUNES technology • Monitor vital signs and location of emergency workers using body area networks • Detect health problems • Proximity to dangerous locations • Read details of cargo types and sizes using RFID on vehicles • Communication with and assistance for tunnel users

21. Potential uses of RUNES technology • Build networks using existing sensors and those brought in by emergency workers • Air quality and fume detection • Temperature • Crashed vehicles • Position and status of equipment • Autonomous vehicles for use in unsafe environments

22. Technology • Microcontrollers are cheap and powerful – the cost of replacing a dumb sensor with an intelligent one is trivial • Embedded systems are becoming increasingly networked (eg vehicles, large buildings) • Networks are becoming networked and heterogeneous

23. Examples of requirements • Communication paradigms (synchronous, asynchronous, DTN) • Reconfigurable devices (upload new components, adaptation) • Simple set-up (automatic service discovery) • Failure tolerance • Security (authentication, encryption, DoS)

24. RUNES demonstrator • RUNES plans to produce a demonstrator • Based on tunnel fire scenario • Likely to scope on to one aspect of the potential uses listed earlier

25. Perspectives must be considered • Firefighters and emergency workers • Tunnel users and victims • Command and control …but also • Those who will be using the technology to design and produce systems

26. RUNES interactive video • Usability of the proposed technology is an issue since so much of what happens should be invisible to the user • An interactive video is already being developed which will assist the project in understanding the needs and perspectives of the various stakeholders

32. Conclusions • We are in the middle of a major technological revolution which will affect how we live, work and do business • This technology has the potential to impact the way we prevent and deal with emergency situations • The RUNES project is well placed to allow Europe to play a major part in how the technology is delivered

33. Further info Join the RUNES Interest Group www.ist-runes.org/interest_group.html