PODCAST: Chao Zhang on how TrioVecEvent and geo-tagged Tweets can be vital in emergency situations

The nation has experienced two of its most wide scale natural disasters in the recent months in Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. In addition to the lives and properties that have been affected, it too has been a strain on the infrastructure of those areas affected, from power, to water, to utilities. As victims sought emergency assistance and friends and family reached out to their loved ones, cell towers and 911 lines reached capacity and beyond, leaving it difficult to call for help. TrioVecEvent is demonstrating how geo-tagged Tweet streams can help locate those in most need of help. This is just one of the benefits of this technology. Chao Zhung, a data-mining PhD student in computer science at the University of Illinois is a lead on the research and joins the Illinois Innovators podcast to discuss the technology.