Japan's OKI Develops GPS+Twitter Emergency Response Network Service

OKI Consulting Solutions has launched a "TweetLine@saigai" an application and service for the Japanese market intended for use during disasters (Saigai means "disaster" in Japanese). The application provides timely disaster and evacuation information to residents and disaster victims based on a smartphone's GPS data and Twitter.


To use the service, residents download the TweetLine@saigai application from the application stores for compatible smartphones. They can then confirm disaster information on their smartphones using the timeline and take various other actions, including sending images of the area affected by the disaster.


TweetLine@saigai runs on the cloud-based TweetLine platform, a disaster information management database that stores information on hazards provided by local governments, including evacuation areas and geographical information. Compatible with TweetLine, OKI's USB Safario allows local government staff to operate the disaster information management database from remote areas.
Moreover, OKI's FSE (Face Sensing Engine) makes it possible to acquire information on disaster victims, including gender and age group, to make aid requirements as specific as possible.


TweetLine@saigai currently runs on Google's Android and Apple's iPhone. The application will be sold to Japanese local governments as an ASP service. Moving forward, OKI will work to expand compatibility with smartphones from other manufactures.
http://www.oki.com