Server-enabled mixed reality for flood risk communication: On-site visualization with digital twins and multi-client support

Abstract

This study introduces a novel mobile mixed reality (MR) system to improve communication among stakeholders regarding climate-change-driven flood risk. This MR system enables stakeholders to visualize flood risks on common mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, offering perspectives from their respective environments. The system overcomes the computational limitations of previous mobile MR systems by rendering the MR images on a server. Furthermore, distributing users across multiple servers enables many users to simultaneously perform server-enabled MR, facilitating widespread engagement in flood risk communication. The system uses a viewport transformation to accurately display virtual floods and correct for real-time posture changes. A prototype tested in a high-risk flood area achieved real-time MR visualization at more than 16 frames per second, even on multiple devices. Future research will aim to promote stakeholder participation through more accurate visualization of virtual floods and improved interactive information sharing among users.