Situation Determination Device Using SAR and Dashcam Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems struggle to accurately determine disaster situations in areas inaccessible to vehicles, such as flooded roads, due to limitations in sensor data accuracy and coverage.
Innovation Solution
A situation determination device that combines sensor information from dashcams with ground surface measurement data from synthetic aperture radar (SAR) to specify and analyze changes in the ground surface, enabling the detection of disasters in areas vehicles cannot enter.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If sensor information from dashcams is used to detect disasters, then the system can operate using existing widespread devices, but the measurement precision and reliability are insufficient for determining disasters in inaccessible areas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines sensor information from dashcams with ground surface measurement data from SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) to create a hybrid detection system. This merging allows the system to leverage the widespread availability of dashcams while compensating for their limited measurement precision through SAR's accurate ground surface change detection capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces ground surface change information as an intermediary element that bridges the gap between dashcam sensor data and disaster determination. By detecting changes in the ground surface (such as flooding, landslides, or road collapses), the system can indirectly infer disaster occurrences in areas where vehicles cannot directly access or where sensor data alone is insufficient.
2Ease of operation
If vehicles are used to collect sensor data, then data can be gathered from mobile positions, but vehicles cannot enter disaster-affected areas to collect data
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of having vehicles enter disaster areas to collect data directly, the patent inverts the approach by using SAR to detect ground surface changes from above (or remote positions). This allows the system to obtain reliable data from areas that are inaccessible to vehicles, such as flooded roads or collapsed bridges, without requiring physical entry into hazardous zones.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical system of vehicle-based data collection with a remote sensing system (SAR). This substitution eliminates the limitation of vehicle accessibility while maintaining the ability to collect comprehensive data over large areas, including disaster-affected zones that vehicles cannot reach.
3Device complexity
If only traffic jam information is used to infer disasters, then the system can use readily available data, but false positives occur due to non-disaster traffic congestion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where ground surface change detection results are used to verify and refine disaster determinations. When traffic jam patterns suggest a possible disaster, the system cross-checks with ground surface change data to confirm actual physical changes (such as flooding or road collapse), thereby reducing false positives from non-disaster congestion while maintaining system simplicity.
Data Source
AI summary
In order to determine a disaster situation in an area that vehicles and the like cannot enter, a situation determination device according to the present invention comprises: an area identification means that uses sensor information acquired from a sensor information acquisition device to identify an area from which ground surface changes are to be acquired; a ground surface information acquisition means that acquires ground surface changes in the identified area, which are results of analysis using results of measurement by a ground surface measurement device; and a disaster determination means that determines the occurrence of a disaster in the area using the ground surface changes.