A framework for crowd-sourced data collection and context-aware services in Hajj and Umrah

Abstract

We propose a context aware framework that offers a set of cloud-based services to support a very large Hajj and Umrah crowd by capturing their contexts using smartphones. The proposed framework captures the individual's context, provides a set of adapted services, and allows being in touch with a subset of one's community of interest. We leverage the spatiotemporal sensory data captured by our framework to define users' contexts for optimized services. Our proposed framework is also envisioned to assist the Hajj and Umrah authorities to (1) improve Hajj & Umrah documentation, (2) improve Hajj organization through better understanding of pilgrims' (individual and crowd) spatial and temporal behavior and needs, and (3) protect pilgrims' environment through environmental monitoring. In particular, the developed methods, techniques, and algorithms will support the pilgrimage quality of experience. We have tested our system through end-user subjects and due to apply for the upcoming Hajj events. We present our implementation details and the general impression of end users about our system.

Scale Free Network Analysis of a Large Crowd through Their Spatio-Temporal Activities

“…In Hajj 2014 gathering, a smartphone based application have been deployed that uses a framework to capture users' mobile sensory data, intakes users' personal profile and their social interaction with their community of interest to deduce their contexts. Once the context is fine-tuned, the framework offers users, context based services such as multimedia navigation to their favorite POIs, location monitoring with respect to spatio-temporal activities, rituals guide and traffic update etc., [13] [15][17] [18]. During different spatiotemporal activities, pilgrims are connected to many other group fellows, their family members, friends and/or organizers of their trip.…”

“…Such networks are usually planned networks however in some unplanned cases, their naturally evolving behavior to complex forms needs special attention [12]. Among few such large gatherings, Hajj is a yearly religious gathering for a duration of about a week, where pilgrims from all over the world get together to perform Hajj rituals within certain spatio-temporal zones [13]. Last two decades 3 it has been observed that the number of pilgrims has been increased from 1.8 million to 3.2 million.…”

“…Within this culturally diverse crowd, pilgrims being from all over the world, different backgrounds, spoken languages, literacy rates and lake of religious knowledge are challenging factors for local management [14]. During their stay, their different activities with in different spatio-temporal zones (Figure 4) such as finding lost friends, family members etc., or navigating through different points of interest (POIs) are of common interest [13][15] [16]. Most of the pilgrims are old aged and a very large percentage among them is first time visiting such a new place.…”

Digital Revolution for Hajj Crowd Management: A Technology Survey

“…Hajj, the fifth pillar of Islam, is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to the sacred city of Makkah, located in Saudi Arabia. It is performed in the 12 th month (Zulhijjah 1 -the month of the pilgrimage) of the Islamic Lunar calendar 2 [1] [2]. It is a mandatory religious activity, to be performed once in life by every sane adult Muslim, who can afford it and is physically fit.…”

The Infographic Umrah Guidebook “Umrah Grafis” Based on Augmented Reality Technology

“…Umrah (Arabic: ‫ة‬ َ ‫ُمر‬ ‫)ع‬ means the 'minor pilgrimage' of Hajj which the pilgrims perform a series of Umrah ritual acts from Ihram, Tawaf around Kaaba, Sa'i between Safa to Marwah and Tahallul [1]. Indonesian Umrah pilgrims are one of the largest in the world [2].…”