Wearable Communication System Aids Emergency Response.

IRVINE, Calif. -- It looks like futuristic hiking gear. Instead, Evac-Pack, in development at the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (Calit2) at UC Irvine, contains high-tech tools that one day may save lives in the urban jungle.

The wearable, wireless, multimodal communication system allows first-responders in emergency evacuations to maintain constant two-way communication with an operations center.

The GPS/Bluetooth-equipped apparatus consists of a backpack-transported computer, video camera, wearable keyboard and wireless mouse. An eyeglass-mounted visual display, and full-duplex audio microphone and earpiece allow updated real-time situation awareness. A sensor detects and communicates levels of dangerous gases present in an environment, while an avionics-designed helmet incorporates compass, accelerometer and thermometer to transmit images and data to the control center.

Evac-Pack was conceived and developed for a National Science Foundation-funded research project called ResCUE -- Responding to Crises and Unexpected Events. Principal investigator Sharad Mehrotra, UCI professor of computer science systems, conceived the apparatus, while Chris Davison, the project's test-bed technology manager, assembled it using off-the-shelf components.

"Evac-Pack employs 'human-as-sensor' technology that benefits first responders in emergency situations as well as crisis control centers trying to analyze the extent of a disaster," Mehrotra said. "It helps get important information to the right people as quickly as possible."

In wired "smart buildings," instrumented with an 802.11 network layer, the system can "push" a map of each floor into the wearer's eyepiece, with blue dots indicating occupied rooms. This saves valuable time by eliminating unnecessary room-to-room searches.

Adding an 802.11 router card and a CDMA data card allows information to be transmitted outdoors over Verizon local networks.

The University of California, Irvine is a top-ranked university dedicated to research, scholarship and community service. Founded in 1965, UCI is among the fastest-growing University of California campuses, with more than 24,000 undergraduate and graduate students and about 1,400 faculty members. The second-largest employer in Orange County, UCI contributes an annual economic impact of $3.3 billion.

Calit2 is a two-campus multidisciplinary research institute. By integrating UCI and UCSD faculty expertise with industry insight, Calit2 seeks innovative information technology approaches that will benefit society and ignite economic development. The institute is conducting research in areas as diverse as the environment, transportation, emergency management, health care, education and entertainment.