Delta Life Nr. 5 February 2016

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28 DELTARES, FEBRUARY 2016
Keeping an eye on our so ware
Serious game:
Port of the Future
How do people look at Deltares so ware? We are
finding out using eye-tracking. Researchers from
Deltares and the Department of Neurosciences
at the Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam
have been conducting experiments with this
technology, that shows which components of the
so ware users look at, and for how long. We use
the results to make our so ware, manuals and
user experiences clearer.
The serious game Port of the Future allows
partners in ports to work together on the
development of climate-resilient, sustainable
ports where economic growth is in harmony with
the ecosystem. The game consists of a fictitious
but realistic setting. The participants experiment
with various measures in response to a range of
scenarios. The game uses indicators that can be
manipulated to minimise the negative impact
on the natural environment. Dutch and
Colombian participants recently tried out Port
of the Future in Cartagena during the economic
mission to Colombia. The game allowed them
to see the impact of interventions based on
strategic decision-making by multidisciplinary
teams.
Climate change and socio-
economic developments mean
that investors are uncertain
about where and what has to
be invested in the water sector.
The Water2Invest tool gives
them the opportunity to explore
the future of water supplies,
demand for water and water
shortages in di–erent regions,
and to establish a clearer picture
of the most e–ective measures
and investments required. To
help with the development
of this tool, Deltares supplies
information about the impact of
water shortages in the economy,
society and ecosystems, and about
measures to tackle those shortages
on the basis of hydrological and
water allocation models developed
by Utrecht University, FutureWater
and partners. We are continuing
to extend functionality and to
improve visualisation. A first proto-
type has now been completed and
it is available online at
Online tool to
explore water
availability
PHOTO: DELTARES