Second generation of Simtable being developed

In May we recorded the video above and told you about the Simtable which projects 3-D wildfire simulations onto a sand table which can be molded to resemble the topography in a specific area.  Fire modeling algorithms simulate the spread of fire through the vegetation and across the topography while also taking weather and fuel conditions into account. You can simulate a fire at your choice of location, or you can view the spread of historic fires. The system can also be used to simulate and train for evacuations, floods, and hazardous material incidents — at a starting price of $25,000.

A researcher at San Diego State University is developing the next generation of the Simtable which he hopes to put into the hands of wildland firefighters out on the ground.

10News reports:

“Any firefighter with a smartphone or tablet could download it and have the mapping system,” said [Justin Freiler of SDSU’s Visualization Center].

They are not there yet, as a mobile app is still in development, but the hope is to make the system available to firefighters in the near future.

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Author: Bill Gabbert

After working full time in wildland fire for 33 years, he continues to learn, and strives to be a Student of Fire.

One thought on “Second generation of Simtable being developed”

  1. Thanks for the referring to the story, Bill. Yes, we are now in beta testing of the second generation of Simtable. SDSU VizCenter is one of our testing partners and is providing valuable input on needs of first responders.

    The new version allows mobile devices to coordinate around the table and out in the field. This upcoming version is a free upgrade for existing partners. We are also testing running the Simtable with using just an off-the-shelf projector and a mobile phone. This form factor has the potential to bring the price of hardware for a Simtable way down.

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