Real-time data fusion and visualization in support of emergency response operations

Recent research and development efforts within BAE Systems have focused on applying geospatial technologies within emergency management policies and procedures. Challenges within the existing literature can be categorized into four broad concepts - gathering, fusion, dissemination and visualization. A unique combination focused on providing communication; information fusion and management; and collaboration solutions through the application of data collection, manipulation and brokering; process workflow technology, and advanced geospatial capabilities and functionality within an open source software environment have resulted in the creation of two integrated applications - Salina and incidentOS. A real world implementation of these proof of concept applications has shown that a possible solution exists to answer some of the outstanding issues currently highlighted in the literature. The underlying open source technology utilized in the data platform can be implemented in numerous combinations and therefore has broader application to a wide range of domains including emergency management.