Scenario Generation with Cellular Automaton for Game-based Crisis Simulation System

Crisis is infrequent and unpredictable event which is challenging to prepare and resolve. Scenario generation for modeling a crisis using computational approach is preferable due to its flexibility to produce automated variation of scenario based on different setup key factors. Combining crisis generation with game technology, serious-game game can be developed to provide potential support in training and simulation practice of real-world crisis situation to different stakeholders. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a computational framework to provide automated generation of a fire crisis scenario with firefighter-agent simulation using cellular automaton with influence map for agent behavior optimization, and visualization using a 3D game engine. The framework is evaluated based on performance, convergence and realistic behavior of both crisis event (e.g. fire propagation or control) and crisis resolution (e.g. firefighter solving the crisis)

INVESTIGATION INTO GAME-BASED CRISIS SCENARIO MODELLING AND SIMULATION SYSTEM

A crisis is an infrequent and unpredictable event. Training and preparation process requires tools for representation of crisis context. Particularly, crisis events consist of different situations, which can occur at the same time combining into complex situation and becoming a challenge in coordinating several crisis management departments. In this regards, disaster prevention, preparedness and relief can be conceptualized into a design of hypothetical crisis game. Many complex tasks during development of emergency circumstance provide an opportunity for practitioners to train their skills, which are situation analysis, decision-making, and coordination procedures. While the training in physical workouts give crisis personal a hand-on experience in the given situation, it often requires a long time to prepare with a considerable budget. Alternatively, computational framework which allows simulation of crisis models tailoring into crisis scenario can become a cost-effective substitution to this study and training. Although, there are several existing computational toolsets to simulate crisis, there is no system providing a generic functionality to define crisis scenario, simulation model, agent development, and artificial intelligence problem planning in the single unified framework. In addition, a development of genetic framework can become too complex due to a multi-disciplinary knowledge required in each component. Besides, they have not fully incorporated a game technology toolset to fasten the system development process and provide a rich set of features and functionalities to these mentioned components. To develop such crisis simulation system, there are several technologies that must be studied to derive a requirement for software engineering approach in system’s specification designs. With a current modern game technology available in the market, it enables fast prototyping of the framework integrating with cutting-edge graphic render engine, asset management, networking, and scripting library. Therefore, a serious game application for education in crisis management can be fundamentally developed early. Still, many features must be developed exclusively for the novel simulation framework on top of the selected game engine. In this thesis, we classified for essential core components to design a software specification of a serious game framework that eased crisis scenario generation, terrain design, and agent simulation in UML formats. From these diagrams, the framework was prototyped to demonstrate our proposed concepts. From the beginning, the crisis models for different disasters had been analysed for their design and environment representation techniques, thus provided a choice of based simulation technique of a cellular automata in our framework. Importantly, a study for suitability in selection of a game engine product was conducted since the state of the art game engines often ease integration with upcoming technologies. Moreover, the literatures for a procedural generation of crisis scenario context were studied for it provided a structure to the crisis parameters. Next, real-time map visualization in dynamic of resource representation in the area was developed. Then the simulation systems for a large-scale emergency response was discussed for their choice of framework design with their examples of test-case study. An agent-based modelling tool was also not provided from the game engine technology so its design and decision-making procedure had been developed. In addition, a procedural content generation (PCG) was integrated for automated map generation process, and it allowed configuration of scenario control parameters over terrain design during run-time. Likewise, the artificial planning architecture (AI planning) to solve a sequence of suitable action toward a specific goal was considered to be useful to investigate an emergency plan. However, AI planning most often requires an offline computation with a specific planning language. So the comparison study to select a fast and reliable planner was conducted. Then an integration pipeline between the planner and agent was developed over web-service architecture to separate a large computation from the client while provided ease of AI planning configuration using an editor interface from the web application. Finally, the final framework called CGSA-SIM (Crisis Game for Scenario design and Agent modelling simulation) was evaluated for run-time performance and scalability analysis. It shown an acceptable performance framerate for a real-time application in the worst 15 frame-per-seconds (FPS) with maximum visual objects. The normal gameplay performed capped 60 FPS. At same time, the simulation scenario for a wildfire situation had been tested with an agent intervention which generated a simulation data for personal or case evaluation. As a result, we have developed the CGSA-SIM framework to address the implementation challenge of incorporating an emergency simulation system with a modern game technology. The framework aims to be a generic application providing main functionality of crisis simulation game for a visualization, crisis model development and simulation, real-time interaction, and agent-based modelling with AI planning pipeline

Survey: Development and analysis of a games-based crisis scenario generation system

Crisis is an infrequent and unpredictable event which is challenging to prepare and resolve. Serious-game approach proved to provide potential support in training and simulating event of real-world crisis situation to different stakeholders. Yet in practice, the approach meets with difficulty on how to setup and utilize different core components such as asset management, crisis scenario generation, agent simulation, real-world constraints, and the evaluation process to yield beneficial information upon running the system. To address this issue, the key question is what can be done to propose a general crisis game-based framework providing necessary core components while generating evaluation result yielding potential analytical data for a crisis management process. Therefore, in this paper, we aim to review and consolidate the existing research on scenario generation techniques and related crisis simulation framework, then to propose novel solution to combine both processes and to derive a desirable scenario content which is also being validated in the simulation framework based on the JADE multi-agent architecture. © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016

Game-based Crisis Simulation and Generation Framework: Design and Implementation Structure

Crisis is an infrequent and unpredictable event. Training and preparation process requires tools for representation of crisis context. Particularly, Crisis Event consists of different situations which can occur at the same time combining into complex situation and becoming a challenge in collaboration of several crisis management departments. Studying of Resource distribution also improving an effectively in solving the ongoing crisis. By integrating modern game technology, development process of assistance and simulation system can become a cost-effective solution to allow observation and test practice procedures. Therefore, we aim to discuss and provide an implementation design choices of general framework tool for representing of coverage terrain, resources, different stakeholders and structure of crisis scenario using Unity3D game engine technology. The paper focuses on the procedural generation of complex 3D environment for crisis scenarios generation and disaster management, and introduces the framework, structure, functions and the visualization, and performance evaluation of the framework

Towards the Design of Respond Action in Disaster Management Using Knowledge Modeling

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