CADDIES: a new framework for rapid development of parallel cellular automata algorithms for flood simulation

Abstract

Cellular automata (CA) algorithms can be used for quickly describing models of complex systems using simple rules. CADDIES is a new EPSRC and industry-sponsored project that aims to use the computational speed of CA algorithms to produce operationally useful real/near-real time pluvial urban flood models for both 1D-sewer and 2D-surface (dual-drainage) flows. In this paper, the design of a graphical software framework for the CADDIES project is presented. This is intended to simplify the development, testing and use of CA algorithms, and to facilitate the handling of the peripheral tasks of data management and display; allowing the research users to focus on the central tasks of optimisation of CA models and algorithms themselves.