idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
idw - Informationsdienst
Wissenschaft
Threats from chemical, biological, or radiological hazardous substances (CBRNE) are becoming increasingly important in the current security environment. But how can emergency responders better prepare for CBRNE incidents and accelerate their response capabilities? Solutions are being developed by the EU project “TeamUP,” in which the Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, Information Processing and Ergonomics (FKIE) is involved. Extensive practical tests took place at the end of February.
In the last week of February, the TeamUP consortium conducted usability tests and a small-scale trial at the “Campus VESTA” test site in Ranst, Belgium. Numerous new technologies have been developed as part of the project, including sensors for detecting hazardous substances, digital tools for coordinating operations, and solutions for triage, decontamination, and situational awa-reness. Following initial laboratory validation, these technologies have now been tested under realistic conditions.
More than 90 participants from seven countries took part in the demonstration exercise and eva-luation of the new technologies, including first responders and technology developers. During the usability tests, end users evaluated handling, practicality, and integration into existing work-flows. The focus was not only on the technical performance of the systems, but also on whether they could intuitively and effectively support emergency responders in real-world situations.
In the subsequent small-scale trial, selected technologies were integrated into an operational scenario. The exercise simulated an explosion at an industrial site on the outskirts of a city, relea-sing hazardous chemicals and injuring several people. During the exercise, emergency responders carried out search and rescue operations, triage, and coordinated command and communication processes. Several TeamUP solutions were used simultaneously to examine how they work both individually and in combination.
The feedback collected during the test week through observations, digital questionnaires, and debriefings is now being evaluated and will be incorporated into the further development of the technologies. The results will also form the basis for upcoming tests in which the developed solu-tions will be evaluated under even more extensive realistic conditions.
Fraunhofer FKIE plays an important role in the project by involving end users and evaluating the technologies developed. At the start of the project, the institute organized two co-creation work-shops in which emergency responders worked together with technology developers to develop visions for future CBRN-E response systems and define specific requirements. In addition, Fraun-hofer FKIE filled a leading role in designing and implementing an evaluation methodology to as-sess the developed solutions. For the test week at campus VESTA, the institute was instrumental in developing, among other things, the concept for usability evaluation and the associated ques-tionnaires, which were used to collect structured feedback from the emergency services.
This project is funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation pro-gramme under grant agreement No. 101121167.
Participants of the EU project »TeamUP« during the usability tests at the Campus VESTA training site ...
Copyright: TeamUP
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