Interactive Augmented Reality-enabled Outdoor Scene Visualization For Enhanced Real-time Disaster Response

2026-02-25

AI Summary

This work proposes a user-centered augmented reality interface to address the challenges of real-time outdoor scene visualization and low cognitive-load interaction in disaster response scenarios. The approach uniquely integrates 3D Gaussian splatting for high-fidelity rendering, World-in-Miniature navigation for spatial orientation, and filterable semantic points of interest, all within a streaming scene-update architecture that enables dynamic, lightweight reconstruction of evolving disaster sites. Preliminary user evaluations demonstrate that the system significantly enhances situational awareness, supports efficient collaborative decision-making, and exhibits high usability and strong user acceptance.

Technology Category

• Computer Vision: 3D Computer Vision
• Planning, Routing, and Scheduling: Optimization of Spatio-temporal Systems
• Humans and AI: Intelligent User Interfaces

Application Category

• Search and Retrieval-Augmented AI: Personalized, context-aware and across-device search
• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: Fairness-aware retrieval and ranking
• Responsible Web: Data and user privacy-enhancing technologies for the Web

Abstract

A user-centered AR interface for disaster response is presented in this work that uses 3D Gaussian Splatting (3DGS) to visualize detailed scene reconstructions, while maintaining situational awareness and keeping cognitive load low. The interface relies on a lightweight interaction approach, combining World-in-Miniature (WIM) navigation with semantic Points of Interest (POIs) that can be filtered as needed, and it is supported by an architecture designed to stream updates as reconstructions evolve. User feedback from a preliminary evaluation indicates that this design is easy to use and supports real-time coordination, with participants highlighting the value of interaction and POIs for fast decision-making in context. Thorough user-centric performance evaluation demonstrates strong usability of the developed interface and high acceptance ratios.

Problem

• Augmented Reality
• Disaster Response
• Scene Visualization
• Situational Awareness
• Cognitive Load

Innovation

• 3D Gaussian Splatting
• Augmented Reality
• Disaster Response
• World-in-Miniature
• Semantic POIs