Abstract
Because mobile virtual reality (VR) is both mobile and immersive, three-dimensional (3D) visualizations of disaster scenes based in mobile VR enable users to perceive and recognize disaster environments faster and better than is possible with other methods. To achieve immersion and prevent users from feeling dizzy, such visualizations require a high scene-rendering frame rate. However, the existing related visualization work cannot provide a sufficient solution for this purpose. This study focuses on the construction and optimization of a 3D disaster scene in order to satisfy the high frame-rate requirements for the rendering of 3D disaster scenes in mobile VR. First, the design of a plugin-free browser/server (B/S) architecture for 3D disaster scene construction and visualization based in mobile VR is presented. Second, certain key technologies for scene optimization are discussed, including diverse modes of scene data representation, representation optimization of mobile scenes, and adaptive scheduling of mobile scenes. By means of these technologies, smartphones with various performance levels can achieve higher scene-rendering frame rates and improved visual quality. Finally, using a flood disaster as an example, a plugin-free prototype system was developed, and experiments were conducted. The experimental results demonstrate that a 3D disaster scene constructed via the methods addressed in this study has a sufficiently high scene-rendering frame rate to satisfy the requirements for rendering a 3D disaster scene in mobile VR.
Highlights
Disasters often cause a large number of casualties and considerable property losses [1,2]
Much work has been conducted in this field, such as personal computer (PC)-based 3D visualizations of flood disaster scenes [3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11], earthquake disaster scenes [12,13,14,15,16], and geological disaster scenes [17,18,19]; immersive experiences of disasters, based on PC virtual reality (VR) systems [20,21,22,23,24,25]; and 3D disaster simulation and visualization analyses, based on diverse computing systems [26]
Due to the urgency and scientificity of disaster emergency responses [27,28,29], all types of emergency personnel in different locations need to perceive and recognize disaster environments faster and better, which will require more mobile and immersive visualizations of 3D disaster scenes. With regard to these requirements, methods addressed in the existing research have the following deficiencies: (1) these methods lack the capacity for mobility, since 3D disaster visualizations based on PC and PC VR systems are generated indoors and cannot satisfy the requirements for outdoor disaster visualization; (2) the methods offer only weak immersion—for instance, disaster visualization based on diverse computing systems can solve the mobility problem, the display devices of these mobile terminals are physically small
Summary
Disasters often cause a large number of casualties and considerable property losses [1,2]. A three-dimensional (3D) visualization of a disaster scene can be used to represent the current, past, and future conditions of the disaster site. Such a visualization provides an intuitive decision analysis platform for disaster-related personnel, which is of great significance for mitigating the potential adverse effects caused by disasters. With regard to these requirements, methods addressed in the existing research have the following deficiencies: (1) these methods lack the capacity for mobility, since 3D disaster visualizations based on PC and PC VR systems are generated indoors and cannot satisfy the requirements for outdoor disaster visualization; (2) the methods offer only weak immersion—for instance, disaster visualization based on diverse computing systems can solve the mobility problem, the display devices of these mobile terminals (such as smartphones) are physically small. In the existing methods of 3D disaster scene visualization, mobility, and immersion cannot coexist
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