Enrico Ronchi is developing new ways to create an inclusive evacuation design for buildings. The research concerns investigating emergency evacuation solutions that are suitable for vulnerable groups such as older populations and people with functional limitations.
“The growing impact of climate change, ageing populations and geopolitical uncertainties have highlighted the need for inclusive emergency evacuations more than ever before,” says Enrico Ronchi.
As part of the ERC Egressibility project, he will build a multidisciplinary team that will carry out massive data collection of behaviours and use these data to develop an inclusive machine-learning model (according to ethical AI principles) that can transform evacuation design through what is known as the egressibility concept. Among other things, multi-sensory Virtual Reality (VR) experiments will be conducted at the Safety Hub on Campus Helsingborg to study human behaviour during different emergency evacuation scenarios.
“The ERC grant is a career changer because it provides generous funding, prestige and freedom that opensincredible opportunities for a researcher. The ERC grant will enable a paradigm shift in evacuation research and drive change towards a safer, fairer and more inclusive society,” explains Enrico Ronchi.
Five Lund University researchers to receive ERC Consolidator Grants
About the ERC Consolidator Grant
The European Research Council has awarded Consolidator Grants to 328 researchers. The grants, totalling €678 million, aim to support outstanding researchers as they establish their independent research teams and develop their most promising scientific ideas. Funding is provided through the EU's Horizon Europe programme.
