中文版本

Opportunity

Modern infrastructure links, such as underground or subsea communication cables, are critical for global connectivity but face significant risks from natural disasters (e.g., earthquakes, landslides) and human activities (e.g., fishing, anchoring). Failures in these links can lead to severe economic and social disruptions. For example, the 2006 Taiwan earthquake damaged multiple submarine cables, causing prolonged internet outages across Asia. Traditional path-planning methods often fail to account for dynamic risks like terrain instability or seismic hazards, leading to suboptimal designs with high repair costs and low resilience. This patent addresses the need for a systematic approach to optimize infrastructure paths by balancing construction costs with long-term survivability.  

Technology 

The patent introduces a computational method to determine the optimal path arrangement for infrastructure links (e.g., optical fiber cables) between two geographic locations. Key innovations include:  

1. Multi-Objective Optimization: Combines cost minimization (laying/construction) with risk mitigation (repair rate) using Pareto optimal solutions.  
2. Direction-Dependent Cost Modeling: Incorporates terrain slope and ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) stability during cable laying, penalizing high-risk paths with exponential cost functions.  
3. Dynamic Risk Index: Quantifies survivability via a weighted sum of cost factors (labor, licenses) and risk factors (earthquake-prone areas, slope angles). The risk index represents expected failures over the link’s lifetime or uncertainty in future costs (e.g., taxes/fees).  
4. Algorithmic Solutions: Uses Ordered Upwind Method (OUM) or Fast Marching Method (FMM) to solve Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equations, generating optimal paths on 3D terrain models.  

Advantages

• Resilience: Reduces failure rates by avoiding high-risk zones or using higher design levels (e.g., shielded cables).  
• Cost Efficiency: Balances upfront costs (laying) with long-term savings (fewer repairs).  
• Adaptability: Applicable to diverse infrastructure (submarine cables, pipelines) and hazards (seismic, human activity).  
• Computational Speed: OUM/FMM enables large-scale optimization with grid-based terrain data.  

Applications

• Telecommunications: Designing earthquake-resistant undersea fiber-optic networks.  
• Energy Pipelines: Routing oil/gas pipelines to minimize environmental and seismic risks.  
• Disaster Management: Real-time risk assessment and insurance cost modeling for infrastructure operators.  
• Government Policy: Informing regulations for critical infrastructure protection.  

For more information, please visit: https://www.ee.cityu.edu.hk/~zukerman/