A smart exit-sign system is an exit-sign system that can proactively orient the direction of an exit sign toward the shortest safe path in fire situations. In a previous study, an automated direction setting algorithm for a smart exit sign was proposed that assumed the exit signs were controlled by the main central server. This study proposes a new direction setting algorithm for a server-independent smart exit-sign system. The server-independent direction setting algorithm (SIDSA) can be divided into four main steps once the smart exit-sign system is installed and initialized: (1) update of the fire-status information detected by a sensor; (2) sharing of the fire-status information with neighboring exit-sign modules; (3) update of the shortest-path (distance) information according to the fire situation; (4) update of the direction on the display board. SIDSA has been validated through multiple simulations.
This paper presents the factors that could potentially affect the reliability of a serverless smart exit sign system, namely an evacuation guidance system based on a wireless sensor network (WSN) without a central server. Serverless smart exit sign system dynamically changes the directions of signs to indicate the shortest safe evacuation paths. Thus, the reliability of these systems is critical. Nevertheless, no research has been conducted to test the reliability of serverless smart exit sign systems. As a first step, we conducted a literature review to analyze the factors that could degrade the network performance of serverless smart exit sign systems. The identified factors were grouped into three categories: physical obstacles, environmental factors, and WSN properties. We plan to develop a prototype of a serverless smart exit sign system and then to conduct experiments to validate the influence of these factors on its network performance.
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