Low-Cost, LiDAR-Based, Dynamic, Flood Risk Communication Viewer

This paper proposes a flood risk visualization method that is (1) readily transferable (2) hyperlocal, (3) computationally inexpensive, and (4) geometrically accurate. This proposal is for risk communication, to provide high-resolution, three-dimensional flood visualization at the sub-meter level. T...

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Main Authors: Debra F. Laefer, Evan O’Keeffe, Kshitij Chandna, Kim Hertz, Jing Zhu, Raul Lejano, Anh Vu Vo, Michela Bertolotto, Ulrich Ofterdinger
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-02-01
Series:Remote Sensing
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/17/4/592
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author Debra F. Laefer
Evan O’Keeffe
Kshitij Chandna
Kim Hertz
Jing Zhu
Raul Lejano
Anh Vu Vo
Michela Bertolotto
Ulrich Ofterdinger
author_facet Debra F. Laefer
Evan O’Keeffe
Kshitij Chandna
Kim Hertz
Jing Zhu
Raul Lejano
Anh Vu Vo
Michela Bertolotto
Ulrich Ofterdinger
author_sort Debra F. Laefer
collection DOAJ
description This paper proposes a flood risk visualization method that is (1) readily transferable (2) hyperlocal, (3) computationally inexpensive, and (4) geometrically accurate. This proposal is for risk communication, to provide high-resolution, three-dimensional flood visualization at the sub-meter level. The method couples a laser scanning point cloud with algorithms that produce textured floodwaters, achieved through compounding multiple sine functions in a graphics shader. This hyper-local approach to visualization is enhanced by the ability to portray changes in (i) watercolor, (ii) texture, and (iii) motion (including dynamic heights) for various flood prediction scenarios. Through decoupling physics-based predictions from the visualization, a dynamic, flood risk viewer was produced with modest processing resources involving only a single, quad-core processor with a frequency around 4.30 GHz and with no graphics card. The system offers several major advantages. (1) The approach enables its use on a browser or with inexpensive, virtual reality hardware and, thus, promotes local dissemination for flood risk communication, planning, and mitigation. (2) The approach can be used for any scenario where water interfaces with the built environment, including inside of pipes. (3) When tested for a coastal inundation scenario from a hurricane, 92% of the neighborhood participants found it to be more effective in communicating flood risk than traditional 2D mapping flood warnings provided by governmental authorities.
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spelling doaj-art-c4fef648f7de4ad1aedd5c3e9643a2132025-08-20T02:44:43ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922025-02-0117459210.3390/rs17040592Low-Cost, LiDAR-Based, Dynamic, Flood Risk Communication ViewerDebra F. Laefer0Evan O’Keeffe1Kshitij Chandna2Kim Hertz3Jing Zhu4Raul Lejano5Anh Vu Vo6Michela Bertolotto7Ulrich Ofterdinger8Department of Civil and Urban Engineering, Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USACenter for Urban Science + Progress, Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USACenter for Urban Science + Progress, Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USADepartment of Civil and Urban Engineering, Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USASteinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USASteinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USASchool of Computer Science, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, IrelandSchool of Computer Science, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, IrelandSchool of Natural and Built Environment, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UKThis paper proposes a flood risk visualization method that is (1) readily transferable (2) hyperlocal, (3) computationally inexpensive, and (4) geometrically accurate. This proposal is for risk communication, to provide high-resolution, three-dimensional flood visualization at the sub-meter level. The method couples a laser scanning point cloud with algorithms that produce textured floodwaters, achieved through compounding multiple sine functions in a graphics shader. This hyper-local approach to visualization is enhanced by the ability to portray changes in (i) watercolor, (ii) texture, and (iii) motion (including dynamic heights) for various flood prediction scenarios. Through decoupling physics-based predictions from the visualization, a dynamic, flood risk viewer was produced with modest processing resources involving only a single, quad-core processor with a frequency around 4.30 GHz and with no graphics card. The system offers several major advantages. (1) The approach enables its use on a browser or with inexpensive, virtual reality hardware and, thus, promotes local dissemination for flood risk communication, planning, and mitigation. (2) The approach can be used for any scenario where water interfaces with the built environment, including inside of pipes. (3) When tested for a coastal inundation scenario from a hurricane, 92% of the neighborhood participants found it to be more effective in communicating flood risk than traditional 2D mapping flood warnings provided by governmental authorities.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/17/4/592floodrisk3D modelLiDAR
spellingShingle Debra F. Laefer
Evan O’Keeffe
Kshitij Chandna
Kim Hertz
Jing Zhu
Raul Lejano
Anh Vu Vo
Michela Bertolotto
Ulrich Ofterdinger
Low-Cost, LiDAR-Based, Dynamic, Flood Risk Communication Viewer
Remote Sensing
flood
risk
3D model
LiDAR
title Low-Cost, LiDAR-Based, Dynamic, Flood Risk Communication Viewer
title_full Low-Cost, LiDAR-Based, Dynamic, Flood Risk Communication Viewer
title_fullStr Low-Cost, LiDAR-Based, Dynamic, Flood Risk Communication Viewer
title_full_unstemmed Low-Cost, LiDAR-Based, Dynamic, Flood Risk Communication Viewer
title_short Low-Cost, LiDAR-Based, Dynamic, Flood Risk Communication Viewer
title_sort low cost lidar based dynamic flood risk communication viewer
topic flood
risk
3D model
LiDAR
url https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/17/4/592
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