How would you feel if you knew that somewhere out there, there exists the technology which is be able to save your life? How does it feel to know that you hold “safer” literally in your pockets? SOCIONICAL, an EU funded Project, is developing state of the art research which combines existing technology with human interaction in real life situations.
SOCIONICAL, aims to put order to chaos by managing the effective movement of people in an emergency. The project brings together a multidisciplinary consortium consisting of top European specialists in technology and computer science, behavioural scientists, as well as the Civil Protection Department in Malta.
SOCIONICAL’s main focus is creating “smart” environments that will monitor how people behave in emergencies. This leads to a closer link between people and technology. The research will help plan for effective evacuation, and also explore how everyday devices such as a smart phone, can provide essential information during an emergency. Information gathered can help reduce accidents and fatalities by improving communication with people and between people in the crowd.
This year’s Notte Bianca in Malta will see some SOCIONICAL activity. People with iPhones who choose to download the SOCIONICAL iPhone app from ITunes store, will be able to contribute to valuable research. The SOCIONICAL iPhone app is designed to enhance the Notte Bianca experience by offering information about sites and nearby places.
Although still in development stage, with some of the proposed functions yet to be tested, the application will not only be useful to people attending Notte Bianca but it will also provide important information for emergency services and the event organisers.
So download Notte Bianca onto your iPhone and enjoy the experience. For more information, visit http://www.socionical.eu/ [1].