A Rajkot-based Computer Data Scientist and Machine Learning researcher associated with Gujarat Technological University (GTU) has developed an algorithm using machine learning and big data technology to solve the complex problem of evacuation planning during disasters like hurricanes and tropical storms attacking cities and towns all around the world.
For her invention, Dr. Alpana Upadhyay has been invited to be a member of different international journals based in USA, Australia, Singapore, India and Hong Kong. Not only that, she had been invited as an expert speaker and to chair the session in international conferences to be held in Italy, Rome and Tokyo, Japan to talk about her invention.
The head of MCA department in Sunshine College of Rajkot has named her invention as ‘Escape the Hurry’. Though the invention Alpana with her team member Maulin Raval attempted to address comprehensive traffic network optimisation problem, comprising of an independent queue forecasting model, prioritisation, network reduction and optimisation.
“This algorithm optimizes the system and proposes evacuation schedule with 98.7 per cent accuracy,” claims Dr. Upadhyay while talking to The Pioneer. According to her the purpose of her invention was to develop and test a well-planned and comprehensive evacuation mechanism suitable for a rural or urban area of any size under disaster-threat.
The model is intrinsically structured to make an intelligent shelter/evacuation decision, prepare optimized evacuation schedule to minimize evacuation times, and select shortest route for successful execution of the significant life-saving process, she claims adding that this robotic system and engineered mechanism has a potential to change the way people evacuate globally.
It has the potential to save a lot of time, effort and lives of millions of evacuees and help city planners, disaster managers and evacuees to work together and cooperate during the disaster event. This would help city and rural Government avoid common situations like road network blockages and high costs of evacuation.
“Evacuation planning is a precautionary element to reduce hazard-threat. Emergencies tend to occur during hazards and evacuation is sometimes the only effective rescue measure. However, with growing population and continually expanding city limits, proper evacuation planning has become essential, which can also be integrated with the hazard prediction methods. Evacuation reduces life-loss in both predictable and unpredictable hazards,” she says adding that the need for effective evacuation plan is to save evacuees from the hassle of waiting in blocked road networks, sheltering in disaster zones and risking lives of friends and family. Alpana Upadhyay has also initiated to patent her invention.