In this video, we provide an overview of key research challenges being addressed by ORCHID researchers in the development of Human-Agent Collectives (HAC) for disaster response applications. Such challenges arise at the various stages of the disaster management process. In the preparedness phase, there is a need to determine where the key resources are going to be placed and hence high fidelity simulations of possible disasters are required and we have developed such simulations in collaboration with Hampshire County Council.
For the initial response phase, we have developed crowdsourcing techniques that can help gather information quickly from volunteers and people on the ground in order to improve situational awareness. Moreover, we have developed algorithms for UAVs to work in tandem with human emergency responders to search disaster areas. Based on the information gleaned, software agents can then optimise the allocation of tasks to responders to maximise the number of lives saved and resources secured. To test these agents, we have developed a platform based on mixed-reality games. Our platform allows us to evaluate the mechanisms for human-agent coordination in the real-world and hence acts as a benchmark for HAC.