Investigation Using Multi-Agent Simulation Environment for Evacuation Guidance with Robots

Abstract

In recent years, Japan has been adversely affected to a severe degree by the effects of a strong earthquake disaster. Initial action is important to reduce damage in large facilities such as schools. Initial action can lead to protecting oneself immediately after an earthquake disaster and evacuating to a safe place. In addition, evacuation guidance personnel must evacuate people quickly and safely. However, in times of disaster, evacuation guidance personnel might be absent at night. It might be difficult for evacuation guidance personnel to guide evacuees because of secondary disasters such as fire. As a solution to these problems, a method exists of constructing a disaster prevention system by which robots, as an alternative to people, perform dynamic guidance in accordance with the evacuation route circumstances. As described in this paper, we reproduce an earthquake disaster using multi-agent simulation for the development of a disaster prevention system with robots. Then, we investigate the assumed environment and the necessary functions for robots.