Augmented Reality for emergency management in crisis’ scenarios

The advent of the digital revolution and the advanced development of many data visualization techniques have made it possible to use new tools designed to enhance communication and data analysis. These tools enable the representation of complex information in a more understandable and accessible way, making it easier for users to comprehend and interpret data. Additionally, the ability to interact with the data through the use of interactive tools allows users to explore the information in a way that improves communication and user experience. One of the most recent technologies is augmented reality, which allows users to have an immersive experience without losing touch with reality. In fact, it enables users to view additional information that is overlaid on the real world, improving information comprehension, interaction with tridimensional data, and human-computer interaction. Additionally, it provides new opportunities for fields like education, tourism, and industry by enabling users to access information in real time and in an engaging manner. Augmented reality can be used as support in first-responder missions by police officers, firefighters, medical teams, and other professionals working in the public safety and defense sectors. The scenarios in which this might be helpful include fires, natural disasters, as well as social events like stadium football matches, citizen protests, and concerts. The goal of this thesis project is to analyze older studies conducted in this area, understand their strengths and weaknesses, and use them to develop two AR applications that will be validated and tested to assess the development process' outcomes. The development of the applications takes place on the platform CARMA, owned by CS GROUP France. The "COP Holographic" application is used in the Intrepid project to visualize in space the shared information present on the server Crimson using a three-dimensional interactive map. First Responder is an application used in the Rescuer project that gives practical assistance to the agents by allowing them to view the annotations and various information provided by Crimson in the actual physical space by way of a spatial location system. What will be developed in this thesis is a collection of new functionalities related to the information the agent receives from various sensors. By retrieving them, the application will be able to provide the agents with additional details and information in real time throughout the security operations. For instance, the sensors may detect the presence of toxic gas or the surrounding environment's temperature, enabling operators to make more informed decisions and ensuring greater safety. Through the use of the Microsoft HoloLens 2 device, various functionalities will be evaluated on a group of users in order to assess the user's usability and cognitive health through an analysis of the results from the SUS Usability Questionnaire and the official NASA Task Load Index (TLX) test. This study will enable to assess the effectiveness of the functionalities used to assist the agents and to provide insights for improving the user experience and optimizing operations. Additionally, firemen remarks and suggestions will be gathered in order to determine any potential limitations of this technology and possible future works.