International Conference on Technology Innovations for Crisis Management [ICTICM]
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Item Open Access Voice Communication over Meshtastic Networks(Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology, 2026-05-21) Uduwaka, S; Gunawardana, W M T V; Lakshan, W D T; Pathirana, R P S; Prasanna,R; Dias, D; Gayan, SVoice communication is essential in post-disaster scenarios where users may be unable to type due to injury, stress, or environmental constraints. While Meshtastic provides a decentralized LoRa-based mesh network for long-range messaging, it does not natively support voice and is limited by low data rates and strict regulatory duty-cycle requirements. This paper investigates two methods for enabling voice over such networks: waveform-based audio packetization and a semantic speech-to-text (STT) / text-to-speech (TTS) approach. Preliminary experimental evaluations demonstrate that waveform-based methods, even when using low-bitrate codecs like Codec2, are impractical for urgent communication; delivering a 3-second voice message requires hundreds of packets and several minutes due to ransmission latency and duty-cycle constraints. In contrast, the proposed offline STT/TTS method transcribes speech locally, transmits it as a standard text payload, typically in a single packet and reconstructs the audio at the receiver. This semantic approach reduces delivery time from minutes to seconds, while maintaining high reliability and regulatory compliance. The study concludes that semantic communication is the most viable solution for voice interaction in bandwidth-constrained LoRa mesh environments.Item Open Access Beyond Internet Dependency: LoRa for Post- Earthquake Structural Monitoring(Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology, 2026-05-21) Rallapudi, M.O; Vautier, A; Ngan, B; Perera, P; Prasanna, RAcquiring structural response data during and after earthquakes is essential for assessing threats to critical infrastructure; however, conventional transmission systems rely on Internet connectivity that is often disrupted during major seismic events. This study evaluates Long Range (LoRa) radio as a low-power, infrastructure-independent alternative for transmitting building instrumentation data when conventional networks fail. Field experiments were conducted across three New Zealand cities, testing performance under varying radio configurations, elevations, and urban topographies. Results demonstrate reliable urban communication ranges of up to 1.6 km under optimal settings. Elevation was the dominant deployment factor, with packet delivery ratios (PDR) improving from 0–40% at ground level to near-100% at 500 m radial distance when transmitters were positioned on upper floors. Building-to-building links achieved 75–100% PDR with received signal strength values between −55 and −110 dBm, while terrain features such as hills and dense vegetation caused significant attenuation and occasional link failure at shorter distances. These findings confirm the feasibility of LoRa for post-earthquake structural monitoring and provide quantitative guidance for elevation-aware, terrain-conscious deployment in urban environments.
