Application of a feature-based approach to debris flow detection by numerical simulation

A debris flow is a serious natural disaster which can occur anywhere whether in a valley or on a mountain slope, destroying everything it passes through. Debris flows can occur suddenly and cause residents in the path to suffer casualties and property loss. An early warning system is necessary to reduce the damage in order to protect human life and personal property. However, most debris flow detection systems, like wireless sensors, satellite images and radar, are not suitable for general public use. Vision surveillance systems are generally erected in Taiwan as public devices for security. Therefore, we propose a novel debris early warning system that uses a computer vision technique and build a simulation environment to prove the feasibility. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013