Changing Climate,
Unchanging Resilience.
Zenith helps your agency rebuild trust and transparency in disaster communication and management.
Zenith
Dr. Byeong Cheol Hwang
SCAD Department of User Experience Design
Time
April 2023 — June 2024
Tools
Figma, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Premier Pro, Rhino 3D
Overview
Zenith is a comprehensive disaster management platform designed to rebuild trust and transparency in emergency communications, comprising three key components: Zenith Mobile, Zenith Go, and Zenith Portal.
Industrial
Backend
Interface
ESG
Collaborators
This project is a collaborative effort between Gabriel Lam, Leah Jones, Tra Nguyen, and Guy Cassieri.
Gabriel is responsible for industrial design, brand identity, and user interface design. He also serves as the project manager, coordinating between team members and stakeholders.
For Agency
Providing clarity in complexity.
Zenith empowers emergency management agencies to rapidly, efficiently, and comprehensively respond to critical situations by harnessing the power of advanced data analytics and real-time information systems within their secure operational environments. By integrating disparate data sources and providing intuitive interfaces for swift, informed decision-making, Zenith delivers cutting-edge emergency response capabilities with robust security measures, all underpinned by a commitment to public safety and operational excellence.
All hands on deck, all at a glance
Zenith Portal offers emergency management operators a comprehensive real-time overview of ground-level situations, from power outages to hospital capacity, enabling seamless coordination during disasters.
Effortless coordination across government levels
When a situation exceeds the jurisdiction of your local emergency management agency, effortlessly pass all relevant information in a comprehensive and easy-to-understand format to state or neighboring county authorities, ensuring seamless collaboration and real-time information sharing.
Multi-Layered insights for informed decision-making
The Zenith Portal allows you to preview various layers of critical information, including dispatch services, team operation statuses, and reported damages. This empowers your agency to make informed decisions when mobilizing ground crews across multiple services for rescue or cleanup operations.
Critical Connectivity for Resilient Communication
Disasters often disrupt traditional communication systems, but Zenith Go provides critical connectivity through its dashcam-like device. With powerful on-device hazard detection and reporting, it also serves as a mesh network using the LoWAN standard. This ensures that ground crews and operators receive up-to-date information, even during power or telecom outages.
For Civilian
Safeguard yourself and those you love from uncertainty
Zenith strives to offer every individual a transparent and trustworthy solution for disaster communication by leveraging information from reliable sources to accurately deliver navigation during extreme weather events, such as flooding. Zenith's mobile platform also provides guidance on how to effectively prepare for emergencies, ensuring users have the tools they need to plan for and respond to critical situations.
When flood, turn around don't drown
Together with Zenith Go's on-device hazard detection model, the offline maps stored within our mobile platform enable you and your family to safely navigate away from areas under active mandatory evacuation orders, guiding you through both evacuation and local routes towards your destination.Our platform integrates publicly available data from NASA, NOAA, and other international agencies to predict areas with a high risk of flooding. It actively navigates and reports hazards to emergency operation centers in your region, with your consent, ensuring a proactive approach to safety.
Real-time hazard avoidance and collaborative response
During evacuations, unforeseen dangers can arise. With Zenith Go's vehicle camera, users gain real-time assistance in identifying hazards and receive optimized routes to ensure a safe journey.The platform encourages collaboration, allowing the public to report hazards directly to emergency centers. Authorities can then monitor conditions and update routes as needed, creating a flexible, responsive system for managing evacuations efficiently.
Reliable communication through mesh networking
During emergencies, communication networks can become congested. Zenith devices use a mesh network to keep your family connected and ensure reliable communication for first responders.The network also enables remote property monitoring. With Matter-compatible smart home devices, Zenith detects water intrusion and sound, alerts you to issues, and automatically generates and submits a damage report.
Intelligent trip planning for critical situations
Zenith mobile navigation monitors your gas or charge level and factors in weather conditions to plan your trip. By integrating services like GasBuddy, it tracks fuel prices and availability, helping you avoid unnecessary detours and make crucial decisions in critical situations.
Intelligent Navigation
Integrate data from NASA, NOAA, and other agencies to predict high-risk flooding areas and actively navigate around hazards.
Mesh Network Connection
Keep families connected during emergencies while enabling remote property monitoring through Matter-compatible smart home devices.
Smart Trip Planning
Monitor gas/charge levels and weather conditions while tracking fuel availability through integrated services like GasBuddy.
Process
Understanding the Challenge
Our design process began with deep research into the complexities of disaster response and the critical needs of both emergency management agencies and civilians.
Research Phase
Conducted extensive interviews with emergency responders, disaster survivors, and management agencies to understand pain points and opportunities.
Technical Analysis
Evaluated existing communication infrastructure vulnerabilities and explored emerging technologies for resilient networking.
User Journey Mapping
Mapped critical touchpoints in disaster response for both agencies and civilians to identify key intervention opportunities.
Impact
Real-World Validation
Zenith has demonstrated its effectiveness through collaborations with major organizations and successful deployment during actual emergency situations. Our team presented to NASA disaster coordinators from the Earth Science Division's Disasters Program, contributing valuable insights to the future of disaster response technology and coordination.
Hurricane Response Trial
Successfully tested prototype capabilities during hurricanes Helene and Milton of 2024, providing critical real-world validation of our technology.
Industry Partnerships
Engaging with partners in defense, lodging, security, and science sectors to expand platform capabilities and reach.