How high, where and when water levels rise or fall is of utmost importance for the shipping industry. The same applies to private individuals who own houses or property in endangered areas or to emergency services in flood situations. The Viennese research centre VRVis and the Linz based start-up SOBOS have therefore joined forces to develop "PegelCast2D", a new solution for more accurate forecasting models. The special feature of the software: The high simulation speed enables area-wide forecasts within a few minutes and, in particular, at any point between measuring stations. The results are vivid 3D views of the water body. The high innovation level of this project is proven by the recent award at the IÖB-Niederwasser Challenge 2020.

New method combines physical, statistical and AI models in one user-friendly application

The VRVis Zentrum für Virtual Reality und Visualisierung can rely on a decade of experience in the research areas of hydrodynamic simulation and visualization. "With our advanced modeling techniques we can physically simulate the path of water and statistically predict flooding or water levels", explains Gerd Hesina, Managing Director of VRVis. The start-up company SOBOS has specialized in environmental data management and provides water information worldwide via app and web with its warning service "Pegel Alarm". With the new software "PegelCast2D", local and object-centered flood forecasts are now possible, which are also made available to the public via a web service. "The strength of our strategy lies in the combination of several models: physical hydrodynamic, statistical and artificial intelligence-based. With this combination we achieve a significant improvement in accuracy over the length of the forecast period", explains Johannes Strassmayr, head of SOBOS.

Disaster prevention and flood management in the context of climate change adaptation

In times of climate change, weather and seasons are changing. Extreme weather events such as heavy rain are becoming more frequent. In addition to the threat of flooding, which endangers industrial companies and houses in risk areas, dry low water periods are also a challenge for ship logistics. More than ever before, shipping logistics require detailed and reliable water level data along entire stretches of rivers, especially away from measuring stations, in order to avoid dangerous shallow waters. Innovative software solutions such as those offered by VRVis and SOBOS can significantly support the detection and water-sensitive adaptation of critical infrastructure as well as the optimization of measures or even their use in an emergency.