Providing real-time assistance in disaster relief by leveraging crowdsourcing power

Crowdsourcing platforms for disaster management have drawn a lot of attention in recent years due to their efficiency in disaster relief tasks, especially for disaster data collection and analysis. Although the on-site rescue staff can largely benefit from these crowdsourcing data, due to the rapidly evolving situation at the disaster site, they usually encounter various difficulties and have requests, which need to be resolved in a short time. In this paper, aiming at efficiently harnessing crowdsourcing power to provide those on-site rescue staff with real-time remote assistance, we design and develop a crowdsourcing disaster support platform by considering three unique features, viz., selecting and notifying relevant off-site users for individual request according to their expertise; providing collaborative working functionalities to off-site users; improving answer credibility via “crowd voting.” To evaluate the platform, we conducted a series of experiments with three-round user trials and also a System Usability Scale survey after each trial. The results show that the platform can effectively support on-site rescue staff by leveraging crowdsourcing power and achieve good usability .     

兼容Crowdsourcing的灾害应急管理系统

Crowdsourcing是作为一种新的商业模式发展起来的,随着社交网络、移动互联网的发展,已经发展成为一种新的信息交互方式,推动了新的网络信息生产与交流模式的产生．在近年来的全球灾害救援过程中,公众发布的大量信息发挥了巨大作用．将crowdsourcing模式吸纳入灾害救援应用中,可以有效地利用现有信息化手段,提高灾害信息采集效率与救援效果．本文基于灾害救援现状与crowdsourcing模式,对灾害信息的生产、传播和消费过程进行分析,研究了crowdsourcing模式引入灾害信息管理与灾害救援应用的可行性和关键问题．在此基础上,分析研究了兼容crowdsourcing的灾害应急管理系统的内容与架构．文章研究表明,在与SNS平台进行充分对接的前提下,将crowdsourcing模式引入灾害信息管理与救援应用具有技术可行性,同时也提出了需要进一步研究的一些问题．     

Drone mapping of damage information in GPS-Denied disaster sites

The increasing number and severity of natural hazard events in recent years, and their devastating impact on human life, local economies, and the built environment has called governments around the world into action and created a new mandate for a paradigm shift in disaster management and mitigation policies. To this end, new affordable technologies with mobile connectivity (e.g., smartphones, unmanned systems, reality capture devices) have scaled up tasks such as data collection and curation, leading to a significant increase in the volume of data gathered and shared in the aftermath of disasters. In the meantime, advancements in high-power and distributed computing have created new opportunities in fast and reliable data analytics. In particular to the application of drones in disaster response, past research has primarily focused on aerial data collection and more recently, ground object detection. Geolocalization of drone data (i.e., the process of determining the geographical position of objects in drone’s field of view), however, is a complex task that relies on prior knowledge of the drone’s geolocation (e.g., flight path coordinates, inertial sensors, camera gaze). Such metadata may not be always available or shared across platforms especially with the increased use of crowdsourcing in disaster response, damage assessment, and recovery. This paper presents a methodology for spatial mapping of disaster impact information in drone videos without reliance on GPS data of the aerial camera. We perform progressive mapping using scale-invariant visual features in red–greenblue (RGB) videos of disaster-affected sites in two major hurricanes in North America, namely Harvey (2017) and Dorian (2019). Results indicate that the proposed methodology can project objects from the perspective view of a drone camera onto an orthogonal map with 32.7–36.9 ft of average root mean square (RMS) error in a land area of 18–45 acres.     

面向众包数据清洗的主动学习技术

传统方法多数采用机器学习算法对数据进行清洗.这些方法虽然能够解决部分问题,但存在计算难度大、缺乏充足的知识等局限性.近年来,随着众包平台的兴起,越来越多的研究将众包引入数据清洗过程,通过众包来提供机器学习所需要的知识.由于众包的有偿性,研究如何将机器学习算法与众包有效且低成本结合在一起是必要的.提出了两种支持基于众包的数据清洗的主动学习模型,通过主动学习技术来减少众包开销,实现了对给定的数据集基于真实众包平台的数据清洗,最大程度减少成本的同时提高了数据的质量.在真实数据集上的实验结果验证了所提模型的有效性.     

Journalists as Crowdsourcerers: Responding to Crisis by Reporting with a Crowd

Widespread adoption of new information communication technologies (ICTs) is disrupting traditional models of news production and distribution. In this rapidly changing media landscape, the role of the journalist is evolving. Our research examines how professional journalists within a rural community impacted by Hurricane Irene successfully negotiated a new role for themselves, transforming their journalistic practice to serve in a new capacity as leaders of an online volunteer community. We describe an emergent organization of media professionals, citizen journalists, online volunteers, and collaborating journalistic institutions that provided real-time event coverage. In this rural context, where communications infrastructure is relatively uneven, this ad hoc effort bridged gaps in ICT infrastructure to unite its audience. In this paper, we introduce a new perspective for characterizing these information-sharing activities: the “human powered mesh network” extends the concept of a mesh network to include human actors in the movement of information. Our analysis shows how journalists played a key role in this network, and facilitated the movement of information to those who needed it. These findings also note a contrast between how HCI researchers are designing crowdsourcing platforms for news production and how crowdsourcing efforts are forming during disaster events, suggesting an alternative approach to designing for emergent collaborations in this context.     

多平台数据容灾系统的研究与设计*

基于对Windows和Linux平台卷管理系统的特性分析,提出一种基于卷复制的数据容灾系统模型,并论述了其系统结构、工作原理以及关键技术.该系统的主要特点是采用模块嵌入技术实现系统与平台的有机结合,同时支持多种复制模式以保证数据的一致性,通过加密、压缩传输以提高数据安全性并降低带宽要求,另外提供灾难恢复机制,保证了主数据系统在遭受灾难的情况下可以方便地迁移和回迁.理论和实验均证明,本数据容灾系统较好地保证了数据可靠性和可用性.     

Competition matters! Self-efficacy,effort, and performance in crowdsourcing teams

Advances in information technologies (IT) have enabled organizations to seek solutions for their business problems from beyond their own workforce through digital crowdsourcing platforms. In the most common form of crowdsourcing, teams that offer solutions compete for rewards. Thus, a question of interest is whether competition is a key crowdsourcing characteristic that influences how teams allocate their effort and achieve desired performance. Motivated by this question, we investigate how competition moderates the relationship between self-efficacy and effort using comprehensive, time-variant data collected from crowdsourcing teams that completed a project under competitive and non-competitive conditions. Under competitive conditions, self-efficacy shows a positive effect on effort, which in turn, affects performance positively. Whereas, under noncompetitive conditions, self-efficacy has a negative effect on effort and subsequently on performance. Our results also show a recursive relationship between self-efficacy and performance, in which performance subsequently affects self-efficacy positively. Thus, inducing a sense of competition through competitive reward structures and IT-based “gaming elements” helps improve team effort and subsequent performance. We also tested for mediation of team motivation in the self-efficacy and effort relationship, and we found that motivation partially mediates the relationship. Based on our findings, implications for both theory and practice are discussed.     

基于多Agent的众包任务推荐系统建模与仿真

为了让众包平台用户更方便准确地搜寻到合适任务,促进其能力水平提升,解决众包任务推荐动态性等问题,提出了一种基于多Agent的众包任务推荐系统。首先,基于众包平台建立多Agent任务推荐模型,提出了模型设计思路与模型框架,并进一步阐述了各Agent功能、相互作用关系与相关算法;其次,提出众包用户能力水平提升相关算法;最后,利用NetLogo仿真软件进行验证。结果表明,众包任务推荐系统可对用户能力水平的提升起到促进作用,证明了在众包平台引入推荐系统的必要性。并且分析了多Agent技术可提升推荐系统的动态性、智能性与灵活性等整体性能,促进了众包平台数据的管理与维护。     

软件众包参与度影响因素分析及预测模型

随着"众包"这种商业模式的快速发展, 越来越多的互联网公司选择以"众包"的形式发布软件任务. 然而, 软件任务因其高门槛、高复杂度、长周期等特性, 面临着严重的低参与度问题. 本文结合全球最大的软件众包平台TopCoder的数据, 对软件众包任务的参与度进行研究. 首先, 使用多元回归分析了影响软件众包参与度的因素; 接着, 综合数据挖掘领域的多种分类预测算法, 探讨软件众包参与度的预测模型. 希望通过本实证研究, 为发包方、众包平台降低软件众包的低参与风险提供参考.     

移动终端群智感知研究

随着移动终端集成了越来越多的内置传感器,移动群智感知成为近几年来的研究热点。通过对移动终端传感器感知数据的收集分析处理,用户所处情境便能被识别,还原用户所处场景,为用户提供个性化服务。文中通过归纳国内外的最新研究成果,提出了移动终端群智感知模型,并从数据处理、激励机制和群智感知应用、群智感知平台等几个方面具体归纳概括了国内外的研究趋势。文中归纳了最新的数据处理技术和群智感知应用场景,并提出了竞争和协作相辅相成的激励模式。     

时空众包数据管理技术研究综述

近年来,众包为传统数据管理提供了一种通过汇聚群体智慧求解问题的新模式,并成为当前数据库领域的研究热点之一.特别是随着移动互联网技术与共享经济模式的快速发展,众包技术已融入到各类具有时空数据的应用场景中,例如各类O2O(Online-To-Offline)应用,实时交通监控与动态物流管理等.简言之,这种应用众包技术处理时空数据的方式称为时空众包数据管理.本文对近期在时空众包数据管理方面的研究工作进行综述,首先阐述了时空众包的概念,解释了其与传统众包技术的关系,并介绍了各类典型的时空众包应用;随后描述了时空众包应用平台的工作流程及其任务特点;然后讨论了时空众包数据管理的三项核心研究问题和三类应用技术.最后,本文总结了时空众包数据管理技术的研究现状并展望了其未来潜在研究方向,为相关研究人员提供有价值的参考.     

Using SDI and web-based system to facilitate disaster management

Spatial data and related technologies have proven to be crucial for effective collaborative decision-making in disaster management. However, there are currently substantial problems with availability, access and usage of reliable, up-to-date and accurate data for disaster management. This is a very important aspect to disaster response as timely, up-to-date and accurate spatial data describing the current situation is paramount to successfully responding to an emergency. This includes information about available resources, access to roads and damaged areas, required resources and required disaster response operations that should be available and accessible for use in a short period of time. Any problem or delay in data collection, access, usage and dissemination has negative impacts on the quality of decision-making and hence the quality of disaster response. Therefore, it is necessary to utilize appropriate frameworks and technologies to resolve current spatial data problems for disaster management.This paper aims to address the role of Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) as a framework for the development of a web-based system as a tool for facilitating disaster management by resolving current problems with spatial data. It is argued that the design and implementation of an SDI model and consideration of SDI development factors and issues, together with development of a web-based GIS, can assist disaster management agencies to improve the quality of their decision-making and increase efficiency and effectiveness in all levels of disaster management activities.The paper is based on an ongoing research project on the development of an SDI conceptual model and a prototype web-based system which can facilitate sharing, access and usage of spatial data in disaster management, particularly disaster response.     

Internet of Things for the Future of Smart Agriculture: A Comprehensive Survey of Emerging Technologies

This paper presents a comprehensive review of emerging technologies for the internet of things(IoT)-based smart agriculture.We begin by summarizing the existing surveys and describing emergent technologies for the agricultural IoT,such as unmanned aerial vehicles,wireless technologies,open-source IoT platforms,software defined networking(SDN),network function virtualization(NFV)technologies,cloud/fog computing,and middleware platforms.We also provide a classification of IoT applications for smart agriculture into seven categories:including smart monitoring,smart water management,agrochemicals applications,disease management,smart harvesting,supply chain management,and smart agricultural practices.Moreover,we provide a taxonomy and a side-by-side comparison of the state-ofthe-art methods toward supply chain management based on the blockchain technology for agricultural IoTs.Furthermore,we present real projects that use most of the aforementioned technologies,which demonstrate their great performance in the field of smart agriculture.Finally,we highlight open research challenges and discuss possible future research directions for agricultural IoTs.     

基于业务驱动的“一张图”数据动态更新机制研究

在分析国土资源管理业务模型及"一张图"数据库关系的基础上,重点阐述基于业务驱动的"一张图"数据动态更新机制的原理、实现技术,并在成都市开展应用示范。本文提出基于业务并借助数据捕获、ETL工具实现"一张图"数据动态更新的新思路,为国土资源动态监管、分析核查与决策、防灾减灾提供数据支撑和信息服务。     

Mobile crowdsourcing: four experiments on platforms and tasks

Distributed and Parallel Databases - We study whether the tasks currently proposed on crowdsourcing platforms are adequate to mobile devices. We aim at understanding both (i) which crowdsourcing...     

Hierarchical storage management: leveraging new capabilities

E-commerce has created new problems in data management as mission-critical data swells a business' database into the terabytes. IT shops must efficiently manage data and still provide a rock-solid system with guaranteed 24/7 access. Finding a way to effectively fulfil this mission requires rethinking traditional data management methods. Among the many tools already available, hierarchical storage management (HSM) is an effective data management solution for this demanding new environment. HSM enables centralized data management across a variety of storage platforms, such as servers, RAID (redundant arrays of inexpensive disks), magneto-optical jukeboxes, and tape libraries. It maintains data through a three-level management system. Level one is online data maintained in an online server volume or RAID. Level two is infrequently accessed data; so HSM maintains it in slower storage platforms. Level three is offline data stored in a tape library or on shelved media. The business rarely accesses such data, basically keeping it to comply with record retention rules     

软件众包开发者的能力价值率模型研究

为了更好地评价众包软件开发者的能力,分析了众包模式下软件众包开发的三个基本要素,即大众开发者、任务发布者、众包平台,提出了一种软件众包开发者能力价值率模型。该模型将软件众包任务从子任务、时间阶段、质量特性三个维度进行细分,首先评价众包原子单元,进而综合评估整个众包软件的质量。模型在评价过程中充分考虑了开发者的价值贡献因素,推演了开发者能力价值率的计算方法。验证实验表明软件众包开发者的综合能力价值率随着任务量的增加,其变化和能力大小关系趋于一致,所设计模型具有更好的稳定性,能够有效地评估软件众包开发者能力。     

基于虚拟存储的数据容灾关键技术研究*

从容灾系统研究现状分析入手,针对现有系统存在的问题,深入研究了虚拟存储技术在容灾系统中的应用。通过利用其中的数据智能管理、高效数据备份恢复、备份数据加密保护等关键技术,有效解决了现有容灾系统中存在的备份数据管理复杂度高、数据备份灵活性低、备份数据保护机制不完备三点不足,从而大大提高了容灾系统的可靠性,真正意义上实现了容灾系统的智能化、透明化管理。     

Crowdsourcing as a strategic IS sourcing phenomenon: Critical review and insights for future research

Fueled by the development of Internet-based platforms that provided its technological foundation, and the need for an agile and uniquely skilled workforce, crowdsourcing has grown from the grassroots, with a burgeoning body of research investigating its many aspects. To gain insight into organizational crowdsourcing as a strategic IS sourcing phenomenon, this paper thoroughly reviews the literature to identify both areas of saturation and gaps, with a focus on the strategic organizational context. Pulling together knowledge on specific aspects of crowdsourcing, we first offer a high-level analysis of definitions to reveal rather broad coverage of various activities involving the crowd, many of which do not involve sourcing. We further build on the literature to establish boundary conditions and clarify the focus on crowdsourcing. This is followed by an in-depth critical analysis of selected studies published in top IS and general management journals to date. Through this review, we identify key themes that emerge out of the crowdsourcing literature and synthesize the literature to chart a more focused research path moving forward. Guided by our analysis, we offer a road map for future research that brings together fine-grained insights from existing crowdsourcing studies towards developing a high-level, macro-perspective of the crowdsourcing phenomenon and its strategic impact.     

Emergency management perspectives on volunteered geographic information: Opportunities,challenges and change

Volunteered geographic information (VGI) refers to the widespread creation and sharing of geographic information by private citizens, often through platforms such as online mapping tools, social media, and smartphone applications. VGI has shifted the ways information is created, shared, used and experienced, with important implications for applications of geospatial data, including emergency management. Detailed interviews with 13 emergency management professionals from eight organisations across five Australian states provided insights into the impacts of VGI on official emergency management. Perceived opportunities presented by VGI included improved communication, acquisition of diverse local information, and increased community engagement in disaster management. Identified challenges included the digital divide, data management, misinformation, and liability concerns. Significantly, VGI disrupts the traditional top-down structure of emergency management and reflects a culture shift away from authoritative control of information. To capitalise on the opportunities of VGI, agencies need to share responsibility and be willing to remain flexible in supporting positive community practises, including VGI. Given the high accountability and inherently responsive nature of decision making in disaster management, it provides a useful lens through which to examine the impacts of VGI on official authoritative systems more broadly. This analysis of the perceptions of emergency management professionals suggests changes to traditional systems that involve decentralisation of power and increased empowerment of citizens, where value is increasingly recognised in both expert and citizen-produced information, initiatives and practises.