scholarly journals A Study on Evacuation Behavior in Physical and Virtual Reality Experiments

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Arias ◽  
Axel Mossberg ◽  
Daniel Nilsson ◽  
Jonathan Wahlqvist
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Waiting Times ◽  
Physical Experiment ◽  
Evacuation Time ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Head Mounted Display ◽  
Physical Experiments ◽  
Exit Choice ◽  
In Fire

AbstractComparing results obtained in Virtual Reality to those obtained in physical experiments is key for validation of Virtual Reality as a research method in the field of Human Behavior in Fire. A series of experiments based on similar evacuation scenarios in a high-rise building with evacuation elevators was conducted. The experiments consisted of a physical experiment in a building, and two Virtual Reality experiments in a virtual representation of the same building: one using a Cave Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE), and one using a head-mounted display (HMD). The data obtained in the HMD experiment is compared to data obtained in the CAVE and physical experiment. The three datasets were compared in terms of pre-evacuation time, noticing escape routes, walking paths, exit choice, waiting times for the elevators and eye-tracking data related to emergency signage. The HMD experiment was able to reproduce the data obtained in the physical experiment in terms of pre-evacuation time and exit choice, but there were large differences with the results from the CAVE experiment. Possible factors affecting the data produced using Virtual Reality are identified, such as spatial orientation and movement in the virtual environment.

Study into the Use of Signage on Exit Choice Behaviour in a Virtual Environment

2015 ◽  
Vol 796 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Aaron McDaid
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Computer Games ◽  
Human Behaviour ◽  
Choice Behaviour ◽  
Protection Measure ◽  
Evacuation Time ◽  
Human Behaviour In Fire ◽  
Normal Code ◽  
Exit Choice ◽  
In Fire

The effectiveness of egress paths from a building could be attributed to good signage or intuitive Architecture but we know it is also influenced by human behaviour in fire. The extent to which human behaviour plays a role in the effectiveness of egress routes is not yet fully understood.The aim of this paper is to investigate human behaviour in a relatively simple study of exit choice. The study is conducted in a virtual environment by examining the effectiveness of additional floor-based chevron arrows when compared with conventional exit signage on the same escape routes.Fifty nine participants were asked to interact with the software to escape from a fire in the created virtual environment. Thirty two of the participants used a model with conventional exit signs only. Twenty seven of the participants used the model with exit signs and chevrons on the floor. After completing the virtual egress exercise the participants were given a questionnaire to help understand their behaviour during the task. This allowed the authors to compare results of the post experiment questionnaire with the video output of the test.This research is novel in that involves the use of already existing technologies for new purposes; in this case, commercial computer games engines, generally used for entertainment purposes. As technology reaches new levels it is inevitable that there will be overlap in functionality.This paper describes the experiments, analyses the information gleaned from the research and provides some conclusions for consideration by others in this field. By assessing exit choice behaviour and evacuation time it is possible to compare the effectiveness of the additional floor based signage as a fire protection measure provided above and beyond normal code requirements.

scholarly journals Low-Asymmetry Interface for Multiuser VR Experiences with Both HMD and Non-HMD Users

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 397
Author(s):  
Qimeng Zhang ◽  
Ji-Su Ban ◽  
Mingyu Kim ◽  
Hae Won Byun ◽  
Chang-Hun Kim
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Mobile Device ◽  
User Satisfaction ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
User Study ◽  
Visual Display ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Head Mounted Display ◽  
And Behavior

We propose a low-asymmetry interface to improve the presence of non-head-mounted-display (non-HMD) users in shared virtual reality (VR) experiences with HMD users. The low-asymmetry interface ensures that the HMD and non-HMD users’ perception of the VR environment is almost similar. That is, the point-of-view asymmetry and behavior asymmetry between HMD and non-HMD users are reduced. Our system comprises a portable mobile device as a visual display to provide a changing PoV for the non-HMD user and a walking simulator as an in-place walking detection sensor to enable the same level of realistic and unrestricted physical-walking-based locomotion for all users. Because this allows non-HMD users to experience the same level of visualization and free movement as HMD users, both of them can engage as the main actors in movement scenarios. Our user study revealed that the low-asymmetry interface enables non-HMD users to feel a presence similar to that of the HMD users when performing equivalent locomotion tasks in a virtual environment. Furthermore, our system can enable one HMD user and multiple non-HMD users to participate together in a virtual world; moreover, our experiments show that the non-HMD user satisfaction increases with the number of non-HMD participants owing to increased presence and enjoyment.

scholarly journals DOES IMMERSIVE VIRTUAL REALITY INDUCE CYBERSICKNESS AND IMPACT EQUILIBRIUM COORDINATION?

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 3546-3551
Author(s):  
Tamanna Nurai
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Motion Sickness ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Body Awareness ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Simulator Sickness ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Head Mounted Display ◽  
Simulator Sickness Questionnaire

Cybersickness continues to become a negative consequence that degrades the interface for users of virtual worlds created for Virtual Reality (VR) users. There are various abnormalities that might cause quantifiable changes in body awareness when donning an Head Mounted Display (HMD) in a Virtual Environment (VE). VR headsets do provide VE that matches the actual world and allows users to have a range of experiences. Motion sickness and simulation sickness performance gives self-report assessments of cybersickness with VEs. In this study a simulator sickness questionnaire is being used to measure the aftereffects of the virtual environment. This research aims to answer if Immersive VR induce cybersickness and impact equilibrium coordination. The present research is formed as a cross-sectional observational analysis. According to the selection criteria, a total of 40 subjects would be recruited from AVBRH, Sawangi Meghe for the research. With intervention being used the experiment lasted 6 months. Simulator sickness questionnaire is used to evaluate the after-effects of a virtual environment. It holds a single period for measuring motion sickness and evaluation of equilibrium tests were done twice at exit and after 10 mins. Virtual reality being used in video games is still in its development. Integrating gameplay action into the VR experience will necessitate a significant amount of study and development. The study has evaluated if Immersive VR induce cybersickness and impact equilibrium coordination. To measure cybersickness, numerous scales have been developed. The essence of cybersickness has been revealed owing to work on motion sickness in a simulated system.

Application of spectral computing technics for color vision testing using virtual reality devices

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 (15) ◽  
pp. 260-1-260-5
Author(s):  
Halina C. Cwierz ◽  
Francisco Diaz-Barrancas ◽  
Pedro J. Pardo ◽  
Angel Luis Perez ◽  
Maria Isabel Suero
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Color Vision ◽  
Game Engine ◽  
Virtual Reality Environment ◽  
Head Mounted Display ◽  
The World ◽  
Color Deficiency ◽  
Color Vision Deficiencies

Color deficiency tests are well known all over the world. However, there are not applications that attempt to simulate these tests with total color accuracy in virtual reality using spectral color computing. In this work a study has been made of the tools that exist in the market in VR environments to simulate the experience of users suffering from color vision deficiencies (CVD) and the VR tools that detect CVD. A description of these tools is provided and a new proposal is presented, developed using Unity Game Engine software and HTC Vive VR glasses as Head Mounted Display (HMD). The objective of this work is to assess the ability of normal and defective observers to discriminate color by means of a color arrangement test in a virtual reality environment. The virtual environment that has been generated allows observers to perform a virtual version of the Farnsworth-Munsell 100 Hue (FM 100) color arrangement test. In order to test the effectiveness of the virtual reality test, experiments have been carried out with real users, the results of which we will see in this paper.

3D Virtual Environment Pada Stage Outdoor Evakuasi Simigapi

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-49
Author(s):  
Agatha Maisie Tjandra
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Interactive Media ◽  
Learning By Doing ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
Media Design ◽  
Head Mounted Display ◽  
3D Virtual Environment

SIMIGAPI merupakan simulasi digital pengenalan mitigasi gunung berapi yang diakses melalui media HDM (Head mounted display). Target penggunanya adalah anak-anak usia 7 sampai 11 tahun yang belajar mengenai mitigasi bencana gunung berapi menggunakan metode digital learning by doing. 3D virtual environment diciptakan sebagai tempat interaksi pada stage SIMIGAPI. Dalam menciptakan stage untuk simulasi virtual reality, diperlukan modeling 3D yang efektif dan efisien namun tetap menarik. Penggunaan teori mengenai virtual environment dan data mengenai peta area bencana sangat dibutuhkan sebagai dasar perancangan. Keywords : simulasi, 3D virtual environment, virtual reality, interactive media design

Medical Assessment Test of Extrapersonal Neglect Using Virtual Reality: A Preliminary Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Lanzoni ◽  
Andrea Vitali ◽  
Daniele Regazzoni ◽  
Caterina Rizzi
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Software Architecture ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Medical Personnel ◽  
Medical Assessment ◽  
Cerebral Lesions ◽  
Head Mounted Display ◽  
Preliminary Study

Abstract The research work presents a preliminary study to create a virtual reality platform for the medical assessment of spatial extrapersonal neglect, a syndrome affecting human awareness of a hemi-space that may be caused by cerebral lesions. Nowadays, the extrapersonal neglect is assessed by using real objects positioned in the space around the patient, with a poor capability of repetition and data gathering. Therefore, the aim of this research work is the introduction of a virtual reality solution based on consumer technology for the assessment of the extrapersonal neglect. By starting from the needs of the involved medical personnel, an online serious-game platform has been developed, which permits to perform a test and a real-time evaluation by means of objective data tracked by exploited technologies, i.e. an HTC Vive Pro head mounted display and ad-hoc IT solutions. The test is based on a virtual environment composed by a table on which twenty objects have been placed, ten on the right side and ten on the left side. The whole 3D virtual environment has been developed using low-cost and free development tools, such as Unity and Blender. The interaction with the virtual environment is based on voice recognition technology, therefore the patient interact with the application by pronouncing the name of each object aloud. The VR application has been developed according to an online gaming software architecture, which permits to share the 3D scene by exploiting a Wi-Fi hotspot network. Furthermore, the on-line gaming software architecture allows sending and receiving data between the doctor’s laptop and the VR system used by the patient on another laptop. The therapist can see through his/her personal computer a real time faithful replica of the test performed by the patient in order to have a fast feedback on patient’s field of view orientation during the evaluation of 3D objects. A preliminary test has been carried out to evaluate the ease of use for medical personnel of the developed VR platform. The big amount of recorded data and the possibility to manage the selection of objects when the voice commands are not correctly interpreted has been greatly appreciated. The review of the performed test represents for doctors the possibility of objectively reconstructing the improvements of patients during the whole period of the rehabilitation process. Medical feedback highlighted how the developed prototype can already be tested involving patients and thus, a procedure for enrolling a group of patients has been planned. Finally, future tests have been planned to compare the developed solution with the Caterine Bergero Scale to define a future standardization.

scholarly journals High sensitivity to multisensory conflicts in agoraphobia exhibited by virtual reality

2006 ◽  
Vol 21 (7) ◽  
pp. 501-508 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabelle Viaud-Delmon ◽  
Olivier Warusfel ◽  
Angeline Seguelas ◽  
Emmanuel Rio ◽  
Roland Jouvent
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Multisensory Integration ◽  
Auditory Feedback ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Normal Subjects ◽  
Clinical Use ◽  
Head Mounted Display ◽  
Electromagnetic Sensor ◽  
The Town

AbstractThe primary aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of auditory feedback in a VR system planned for clinical use and to address the different factors that should be taken into account in building a bimodal virtual environment (VE). We conducted an experiment in which we assessed spatial performances in agoraphobic patients and normal subjects comparing two kinds of VEs, visual alone (Vis) and auditory–visual (AVis), during separate sessions. Subjects were equipped with a head-mounted display coupled with an electromagnetic sensor system and immersed in a virtual town. Their task was to locate different landmarks and become familiar with the town. In the AVis condition subjects were equipped with the head-mounted display and headphones, which delivered a soundscape updated in real-time according to their movement in the virtual town. While general performances remained comparable across the conditions, the reported feeling of immersion was more compelling in the AVis environment. However, patients exhibited more cybersickness symptoms in this condition. The result of this study points to the multisensory integration deficit of agoraphobic patients and underline the need for further research on multimodal VR systems for clinical use.

scholarly journals EXPERIMENTAL STUDY TO COMPARE FACTORS INFLUENCING EXIT CHOICE BEHAVIOUR IN EMERGENCY EVACUATION SITUATIONS USING VIRTUAL REALITY TECHNIQUES

2020 ◽  
Vol VI-3/W1-2020 ◽  
pp. 115-122
Author(s):  
S. Singh ◽  
M. Saberi
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Choice Model ◽  
Stated Preference ◽  
Emergency Evacuation ◽  
Human Behaviour ◽  
Careful Study ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Promising Tool ◽  
Degree Of Certainty ◽  
Exit Choice

Abstract. Successful emergency evacuation of a large crowd depends on understanding human behaviour and its interaction with environmental stimuli in that situation. A careful study of human behaviour in these stressful and often time-bound situations can enable building designers to account for these effects to develop the most efficient evacuation strategies. One of the major roadblocks of the field has been the lack of reliable data collection techniques. Traditionally, most of the data analysed for these studies is either collected from historical events or through stated preference (SP) surveys given the challenges of conducting high-risk emergency evacuation experiments. The project is aimed at conducting emergency evacuation scenarios in a virtual reality (VR) environment. Eighty-four participants participated in multiple cases as a part of three VR scenarios to test various factors affecting their decision-making process. Participants were immersed in VR scenarios and subjected to a series of choices. Incorporation of VR technology enabled the experiment to record participants' stated preference with a much greater degree of certainty and realism as opposed to traditional pen and paper methods. The study devised a discrete choice model and calibrated it using the data obtained from the VR-based survey. When testing multiple competing factors in the VR scenarios and comparing the results with previous studies, in one VR scenario, the direction of exit signs was found more influential than crowding. In another scenario, familiarity with an exit appeared to be more influential than herding behaviour and exit distance. Overall, the VR technology is demonstrated to provide an advantage as a means to collect data and has come out as a promising tool to be incorporated in future emergency exit choice studies.

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