It is truly inspiring to witness our interns culminate their summer internship at CRISiSLab with a captivating presentation. Over the summer, Alex Vautier, Mihir Ojas Rallapudi, Brian Ngan, Lev Petersen, and Pudara Perera have collaborated on an innovative project centred around LoRa (Long Range) technology.
The presentation commenced with a concise introduction to LoRa technology, emphasizing the attributes that make it a promising candidate for post-earthquake communication. This technology, characterized by its low range, low bandwidth, low power consumption, cost-effectiveness, and license-free radio frequency band, holds tremendous potential as a communication solution for near real-time infrastructure monitoring following seismic events.
The interns highlighted a critical issue: the breakdown of internet connectivity during seismic events, leading them to explore solutions using LoRa technology. Field experiments were conducted at various locations, with Central Wellington serving as the primary testing ground.
Four distinct testing criteria were identified, each representing different interference and obstruction scenarios. The testing scenarios ranged from low interference with no obstruction to high interference with various obstruction levels. Noteworthy locations included a 2km+ testing range along the Zealandia Fence Line (Low Interference with no obstruction), 75m through the buildings on the Massey campus (High Interference with high obstruction), 230m over the hill on Tasman Street (High Interference with medium obstruction), and 550m along Tory Street (High Interference with low obstruction). Accompanying the presentation were visuals showcasing the devices utilized and the corresponding testing locations. The results from these experiments were nothing short of remarkable, paving the way for the next phase of actual field testing and the preparation of a journal article to document these valuable outcomes.
Towards the conclusion of the presentation, a sneak peek was provided into the upcoming Challenge 2024, which will focus on tsunami. A call to high school students in Wellington was extended, urging them to stay tuned for more details through our website. The summer interns at CRISiSLab have not only contributed to groundbreaking advancements in technology but have also set the stage for future challenges that address critical issues in disaster response and resilience.