Development and Implementation of a Smartphone Application for Tsunami Evacuation

Soft countermeasures help to reduce casualties in the event of tsunami, and the present study proposes the use of a smartphone application to aid with a smooth evacuation. The application, developed via Unity3D, which is a well-known game platform engine, aims to accurately reproduce the area of interest by showing the location of refuge places within the natural and constructed environment. A GPS-positioning system was incorporated in the application, such that users could easily identify their location and that of the designated refuge sites. This can be helpful for coastal areas that are popular sightseeing destination, especially for visitors who are unfamiliar with the region. The effectiveness of the smartphone application was further investigated by conducting evacuation experiments using human participants in Kamakura city, which is an area vulnerable to earthquake-induced tsunamis. Two groups were tested to compare the effectiveness of the developed smartphone application: One control group without the application, and the other with the application. The results revealed that the participants that were using the smartphone application took shorter evacuation times, travelled slower, were less likely to pay attention to tsunami evacuation signs, and covered less distance to arrive at the designated refuge places.