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Real Landslide Incidents in a Virtual Learning World

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Real Landslide Incidents in a Virtual Learning World

Landslide disaster in Hong Kong is rare in recent years. The Geotechnical Engineering Office (GEO) of the Civil Engineering and Development Department has been performing well and is internationally renowned in slope safety management. Despite of this situation, landslide risk can never be zero. In addition, as the climate changes, it is projected that the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events also changes such as heavier rainfalls.

 

To increase efforts in slope safety work, the Hong Kong Jockey Club Disaster Preparedness and Response Institute (HKJCDPRI) joins hands with the GEO of the Civil Engineering and Development Department to enhance training efforts for Emergency Duty Officers with roles in emergency landslide management.

 

On 1-14 March 2019, we collaborated with the GEO to launch the first Virtual Reality (VR) simulation on emergency landslide management for training of Emergency Duty Officers of the GEO.

 

Emergency landslide cases vary from minor incidents that do not involve any rescue operations to serious cases resulting in significant disruption to the community such as evacuation of buildings, closure of roads or even emergency rescue operations. Serious landside incidents are rare in recent years but can be deadly. VR is an ideal way for trainees to face the chaotic disaster situations in advance of any possible chance in future. The VR simulated disaster scenarios immerse trainees in a realistic environment to carry out their roles and coordination in real situations. Such experience allows trainees to better prepare themselves in case of a real disaster.

 

Three storyboards were designed by the HKJCDPRI and the GEO to simulate emergency landslide incidents on the main road, a rural village and a building area. Trainees carried out their tasks in a virtual environment by interacting with trainers who played their roles as other responders realistically at the simulated scene.

 

A total of 35 geotechnical engineers attended the VR simulated training sessions facilitated by the HKJCDPRI in March. Evaluation feedback from trainees are positive, indicating that the use of VR simulated disaster training had produced positive outcomes by creating a more clearly and impressively visualised disaster scenarios.

 

The HKJCDPRI introduced the operation of the VR simulation. 

VR emergency landslide incidents on the main road.

VR emergency landslide incidents on the rural village.

VR emergency landslide incidents on the building area.