GPS Phones for Emergency Guidance
Kyoto University and the research arm of telecom carrier KDDI Corp. conducted an experiment Friday to see how mobile phones equipped with global positioning systems can be used to provide evacuation guidance in the event of a disaster. About 30 students took part in the experiment, held in the vicinity of the university’s campus in Kyoto, bringing with them GPS-equipped phones designed to display the nearest evacuation center.
A computer system determined the students’ locations, searched the nearest of five evacuation centers in the area and displayed a map on the mobile phones, according to those involved with the experiment. Continue