Integrated agent-based modeling with GIS for large scale emergency simulation

Abstract

Recent development in the area of complex dynamic systems includes the integration of agent-based modeling (ABM) and Geographical Information Systems (GIS), which is used to simulate spatial dynamic processes. The use of ABM for experimenting and exploring geographical phenomena is still in its infancy. The paper has presented an architecture which integrates ABM with GIS, and developed a generic model for emergency response planning against catastrophes, which applied to an urban firefighting simulation in Foshan city. Through the integration, agent-based models including real-time GIS data feeds to simulate and visualize situations unfolding in real time. It provides an accessible way to model the emergence of phenomena through individual interactions of features and real geographies over time and space. © 2008 Springer Berlin Heidelberg.