Milk Carton: Family Tracing and Reunification system using Face Recognition over a DTN with Deployed Computing Nodes

During the recovery period after disasters, Family Tracing and Reunification (FTR) is the process by which separated family members are reunited. Traditional FTR methods rely on paper-based registries and notice boards, which cannot automatically match missing person queries with existing records and cannot be efficiently disseminated. Furthermore, lost children or people with disabilities may not be capable of supplying the text-based personal information required by registry forms. Finally, current digital FTR systems require the Internet for data delivery and storage, which may be unavailable during a disaster scenario. To overcome these limitations, we propose the Milk Carton FTR system. Milk Carton uses the Eigenfaces face recognition algorithm to automatically match missing person queries with existing records, without requiring text-based personal information. The system uses Computing Nodes, commodity devices deployed in evacuation centers, to handle record and query creation, data storage, and matching. To handle data delivery without the Internet, Milk Carton leverages response team vehicles as data ferries. The ferries store, carry, and forward records and queries across the system. In this study, we present the design of the Milk Carton system and initial performance evaluations.