Autonomous emergency braking systems adapted to snowy road conditions improve drivers' perceived safety and trust

Objective: This study investigated drivers' evaluation of a conventional autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system on high and reduced tire–road friction and compared these results to those of an AEB system adaptive to the reduced tire–road friction by earlier braking. Current automated systems such as the AEB do not adapt the vehicle control strategy to the road friction; for example, on snowy roads. Because winter precipitation is associated with a 19% increase in traffic crashes and a 13% increase in injuries compared to dry conditions, the potential of conventional AEB to prevent collisions could be significantly improved by including friction in the control algorithm. Whereas adaption is not legally required for a conventional AEB system, higher automated functions will have to adapt to the current tire–road friction because human drivers will not be required to monitor the driving environment at all times. For automated driving functions to be used, high levels of perceived safety and trust of occupants have to be reached with new systems. The application case of an AEB is used to investigate drivers' evaluation depending on the road condition in order to gain knowledge for the design of future driving functions.

Methods: In a driving simulator, the conventional, nonadaptive AEB was evaluated on dry roads with high friction (μ = 1) and on snowy roads with reduced friction (μ = 0.3). In addition, an AEB system adapted to road friction was designed for this study and compared with the conventional AEB on snowy roads with reduced friction. Ninety-six drivers (48 males, 48 females) assigned to 5 age groups (20–29, 30–39, 40–49, 50–59, and 60–75 years) drove with AEB in the simulator. The drivers observed and evaluated the AEB's braking actions in response to an imminent rear-end collision at an intersection.

Results: The results show that drivers' safety and trust in the conventional AEB were significantly lower on snowy roads, and the nonadaptive autonomous braking strategy was considered less appropriate on snowy roads compared to dry roads. As expected, the adaptive AEB braking strategy was considered more appropriate for snowy roads than the nonadaptive strategy. In conditions of reduced friction, drivers' subjective safety and trust were significantly improved when driving with the adaptive AEB compared to the conventional AEB. Women felt less safe than men when AEB was braking. Differences between age groups were not of statistical significance.

Conclusions: Drivers notice the adaptation of the autonomous braking strategy on snowy roads with reduced friction. On snowy roads, they feel safer and trust the adaptive system more than the nonadaptive automation.     

Emergency preparedness through game playing

The lack of emergency preparedness in Mauritius has been the cause of many tragedies. Our approach to tackle this problem was by developing an emergency preparedness game layered and fused with a disaster warning and guidance system that emanates clarity to the unfathomable bearings of emergencies and natural disasters. The emergency preparedness game is based on a selection of diverse real life-threatening difficulties that entail different strategies aimed at bettering the survival instincts of users. It uses story-telling scenarios along with in-game footnotes that yield directives on how to brave fierce and unpredictable calamities. The game reinforces a sense of self-composedness and suppressing untimely fears of users in horrendous circumstances. With regard to the warning system, it unremittingly feeds users with notifications during emergencies, that encases shortest escape routes to lead them to safe locations via a fully functional GPS map. This application brings some novelties that are virtually non-existent in related applications. For instance, this application includes a warning and guidance system, a 3D scenario game to prepare its users for disasters, an interactive survival toolkit selection, an SMS rescue feature and a mass notification system via the web.     

基于压力响应关系法的湖泊营养物基准制定

湖泊富营养化与氮、磷及有机物含量过高密切相关,建立数字型营养物基准能够防止富营养化对水体指定用途造成影响.太湖流域是我国华东地区经济腹地,近年来流域内湖泊水质每况愈下,对其基准研究可为湖泊治理提供依据.详细介绍了压力响应关系法制定湖泊营养物基准的步骤,并将此方法运用到太湖流域营养物基准制定研究中.为满足大多数水体指定用途,研究中将该流域湖泊基本功能确定为娱乐、永生生物栖息地及饮用水,以此构建流域概念模型.选择压力变量为总氮(TN)、总磷(TP)和有机物,响应变量为叶绿素a(chl-a).用非参数分析法和线性回归法分别建立压力-响应模型,通过2种方法相互验证得到TN、TP和CODMn基准分别为0.593、0.067和4.092 mg/L.     

Intentionally building relationships between participatory online groups and formal organisations for effective emergency response

Advances in information and communication technologies enable the public to contribute to emergency response. For instance, reporting systems set up during recent disasters allowed affected people to submit testimonies about conditions on the ground. In addition, the public has analysed data and helped to mobilise and deliver relief resources. To plan intentionally for an integrative emergency response system in the networked age, this research explores two subject areas: (i) the organisational and technical determinants of relationships forged between formal organisations and participatory online groups established by the public; and (ii) the consequences of the outcomes generated by these relationships. Four in‐depth case studies were selected for the analysis, which revealed that resource dependence, shared understanding, and the use of certain types of information technology influence the formation of such relationships. Furthermore, healthy collaborative relationships increase the chances of desirable results, including inter‐organisational alignment and minimal long‐term harm owing to a disaster.     

洪涝灾害条件下疏散交通生成预测方法

为有助于有关部门更准确预测洪涝灾害受灾民众的疏散量,结合非集计数据和集计数据的优点,提出分区集计数据的概念,设计了受灾区域分区方法,并通过意向偏好(SP)调查法对我国居民在洪涝条件下疏散交通需求数据进行调查。在此基础上,引入BP神经网络建立基于分区集计数据的疏散交通生成预测模型。利用调查数据进行实证分析发现,所设计方法取得了较好的预测效果,鲁棒性较好,平均相对预测误差仅为1.8%,其预测效果明显优于现有的非集计和整集计模型。     

石油化工催化剂生产过程中的职业病防治及应急处理

石化企业使用了大量的催化剂,催化剂开发、生产过程复杂,有许多原料和生产工艺,存在许多潜在的安全隐患和职业病危害因素。为预防催化剂生产过程中的事故,通过分析催化剂生产过程中的职业病危害分析,提出了相应的职业病防范及应急处置措施,加强催化剂生产过程中的职业病防治和应急处置能力,创造良好的经济、生态和社会效益,有效防止催化剂生产过程中发生安全事故和职业病。     

应急救援物资车辆运输线路的选择

为了给紧急救援物资支持保障中心的物资调度人员提供科学的车辆路线调度决策方法,提高应急救援工作的响应能力,基于应急条件下物资运输调度的时效性、安全性和经济性特征,运用旅行商理论,对上述3个决策属性分量进行了数学描述,构造了它们的目标函数,并进行了无量纲和权重聚合处理,继而按照多属性决策理论建立了用来评价备选线路决策效用函数的数学模型.利用期望效用属性合并所搜集的信息,将多属性决策问题转化成单属性决策问题,确立了选择具有最高期望效用方案的方法,最后进行了实例分析.结果表明,应急救援条件下的运输调度与正常环境下的企业运输调度决策目标之间存在明显的差异,前者虽然本质上属于图论中最短路线问题的范畴,但由于多个决策目标的存在,不能直接运用最短路线模型和Dijkstra算法求解.运用多属性决策理论建立的评价备选线路决策效用函数,是有关人员进行车辆路线安排的有效方法,但其相对优越性尚需做进一步的研究和探讨.     

面向突发事件智能建筑管理系统的集成结构

为了实现面向突发事件的智能建筑管理系统(IBMS),提出了智能建筑突发事件的抽象模型、基本运算操作及优先权分配机制,并根据突发事件监控和管理的目标,提出了IBMS的"分布式虚拟应急中心"集成结构.     

城市天然气工程环境风险评价

结合广州、深圳、东莞、佛山等城市的天然气工程情况,对城市天然气工程的环境风险评价进行了讨论,并采用穆尔哈斯(Moorhowse)和普里恰特(Prichard)提出的热辐射预测模式和爆炸冲击波预测模式对城市天然气工程进行了风险评价.结果表明,如果发生天然气泄漏并引起火灾,假设在10 min以内,城市门站、调压站和城市高中压管道的火球对建筑物和设备的严重损害范围( A 级)最远距离分别为35.8 m、18.0 m和28.7 m,爆炸冲击波严重损害范围( C1 级)分别为距事故处54.8 m、27.8 m和44.4 m.最后从城市门站、调压站选址及输气管道选线、安全防范距离、作业过程中的风险控制与管理以及事故应急对策四方面提出了风险事故的防范措施与对策.     

云南突发灾害现场应急气象服务体系的构建

近年来极端天气、气候事件频发,影响日趋广泛,为制定防灾、减灾、抗灾决策,更好地保护人民生命财产安全,迫切需要气象服务为地震、山洪泥石流等自然灾害现场提供更具针对性、准确性的基础保障。该文对2014年云南鲁旬6.5级地震现场应急气象保障服务过程回顾,总结应急现场气象服务的不足,分析应急现场气象服务的需求和特点,提出满足云南省突发灾害应急现场气象服务体系的主要功能,并具体分析系统各功能部分的设计技术要点。