Project Proposal Version 1.1

 Media Business Project 

2023-24 

Project Proposal 

Team Name:  KitKat

Student Names: Tala Dabbagh, Éanna Burke, Katie Healy, Killian Harte

Project Name: LavaLink

Version:

V 1.1

Synopsis:

An artificial intelligence tool that will use deep learning models to recognise the warning signs of a volcanic eruption and activate evacuation protocols around the 12 active volcanic sites across New Zealand. 

Project Aim: 

To design an algorithm that will use data from ground-based monitoring and satellite imagery to recognise the visual and physical indicators of imminent eruption. Once the warning has been verified by human experts, it will trigger another algorithm-based system that can provide location-based information to people in the surrounding area through the electronic infrastructure. This will include a mix of visual indicators and sonic alerts. This information can be used to guide civilians to safer areas. Finally, it will provide important information to local emergency services. For example, this algorithm can analyse CCTV footage to try to find people who have been trapped or not been evacuated to safer areas. 

Background: 

Existing Technology

Volcanoes are highly unpredictable and pose a unique challenge to disaster management authorities. The amount of data available to analyse is also more limited, and different volcanoes can exhibit different behaviours, meaning observations that work for predicting eruptions for one volcano can’t reliably predict eruptions for another. A tiltmeter can be used to measure the slope of a volcano and indicate a build-up of gases underneath the surface. A correlation spectrometer can detect changes in the sulphuric acid and other gases being produced. A seismometer can detect earthquake activity in the vicinity. Drone-mounted or satellite-mounted thermal imaging cameras can monitor all of these potential volcanic hazards. Rock samples can also be taken and analysed to extrapolate more detailed geological information. This is a lot of data to monitor and analyse, so hopefully AI algorithms could be used to detect patterns and connections that would not be immediately obvious to even qualified volcanologists. 

History of Volcanic Activity in New Zealand

The main cause for the recent volcanic activity in New Zealand is primarily due to the country’s position on the border of the Indo-Australian and Pacific Plates, which is a part of the ‘Pacific Ring of Fire’, which is also why most of the volcanic activity is in the northern side of New Zealand. 

You can find examples of most kinds of volcanism When you look at New Zealand's Rock and the land's volcanism dates back 60-130 million years ago which was before the microcontinent Zealandia rifted away from Gondwana.

In New Zealand there are minor eruptions every few years, with the most recent ones in the 21st century  being 2019, 2 in 2015, 2013 and 2006. There were 22 deaths in 2019 and each of the other ones had 1 death each per eruption. There are currently 9 active volcanoes ranging with elevations from 137 metres to 2796 metres.

Objectives:

• Confirm where volcanoes are located in New Zealand.  

• Research activity levels of said volcanoes and eruption patterns.

• Study the eruption cases that led to the most casualties. What safety measures were taken, what safety measures failed?

• Research how activity is detected in volcanoes. What are the signs of an active volcano? How can we collect that data?

• Identify the range for all of these volcanic eruptions.

• Research and ideate ways to guide people using visual and audio indicators. 

• Create a vision with enough detail to be able to explain and present to our client.

• Develop and flesh-out the vision with enough additional detail to explain what needs to be designed and built.

• Test and validate our design at each stage to help solve and/or prevent problems that may arise during the design and construction process.

• Assess what worked and what didn't based on feedback.

• Through iteration we will finalise our design. 

• We will create and present our final pitch for our client. 

Team Roles:

Project Manager: Katie

Project Designer: Éanna

Project Researcher: Killian

Project Tester: Tala

Timetable: 

Week 1-3: Establish our brief, understand what is required from the brief and create our first version of our proposal.

Week 4: Present Proposal in class and make adjustments as required

Week 5: Submit proposal and have presentation prepared to present

Week 6/7: Researching concepts and coming up with different ideas

Week 8: Research & Management Assessment 

Week 9/10: Develop our concept options and prepare for our prototype presentation on week 10

Week 11/12: Creating our final prototype and preparing for our final presentation and preparing our report for submission in week 12