Application of the 3D Multi User Virtual Environment of Second Life to Emergency Evacuation Simulation

Author(s):  
Judith Molka-Danielsen ◽  
Michal Chabada
Safety ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 47
Author(s):  
Wattana Chanthakhot ◽  
Kasin Ransikarbum

Emergency events in the industrial sector have been increasingly reported during the past decade. However, studies that focus on emergency evacuation to improve industrial safety are still scarce. Existing evacuation-related studies also lack a perspective of fire assembly point’s analysis. In this research, location of assembly points is analyzed using the multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) technique based on the integrated information entropy weight (IEW) and techniques for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) to support the fire evacuation plan. Next, we propose a novel simulation model that integrates fire dynamics simulation coupled with agent-based evacuation simulation to evaluate the impact of smoke and visibility from fire on evacuee behavior. Factors related to agent and building characteristics are examined for fire perception of evacuees, evacuees with physical disabilities, escape door width, fire location, and occupancy density. Then, the proposed model is applied to a case study of a home appliance factory in Chachoengsao, Thailand. Finally, results for the total evacuation time and the number of remaining occupants are statistically examined to suggest proper evacuation planning.


Research has shown that a large portion of healthcare cost is due to medical errors. There are many factors that cause medical errors but one major factor is linked to healthcare professionals who are not adequately trained with the appropriate skills. Virtual environments and simulations are being used to help improve training in many different areas, including the healthcare profession. This paper explores the usage of Second Life in healthcare education and its ability to improve patient safety. The conclusion is that much progress and development still needs to be made before Second Life will make a significant impact on improved patient safety through healthcare education. There is a need to make the virtual environment more realistic to adequately train healthcare professionals.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qin Peijun ◽  
Yi Tao ◽  
Zhang Xiaofei ◽  
Jiang Shaoen ◽  
Che Yanbo

Author(s):  
Christophe Duret

This chapter will propose an ontology of virtual environments that calls into question the dichotomy between the real and the virtual. This will draw on the concepts of trajectivity and ‘médiance' in order to describe the way virtual environments, with their technological and symbolic features, take part in the construction of human environments. This theoretical proposition will be illustrated with the analysis of Arcadia, a virtual environment built in Second Life. Finally, a mesocriticism will be proposed as a new approach for the study of virtual environments.


E-Marketing ◽  
2012 ◽  
pp. 652-665 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessia D’Andrea ◽  
Fernando Ferri ◽  
Patrizia Grifoni

This chapter provides a framework to analyse the marketing and promotion advantages of Virtual Communities. Virtual Communities offer companies the possibility to carry out a new products and services promotion and to develop trustful relationships with customers. The key element in the use of Virtual Communities for these purposes is the wide amount of customers that can be reached. Virtual Communities present the aptitude to generate social influence and knowledge sharing among customers. As a consequence, it brings out the increasing number of skills, competencies and “knowledge profiles” of each customer involved in the virtual environment. The framework is consequently applied to Second Life in order to analyse three different business strategies that companies usually implement by using this platform. The first strategy allows companies to perform the placement of their products/services in a dynamic form. The second strategy provides companies the possibility to have a better knowledge of customers’ needs in order to develop products and services that satisfy customer’s expectations. Finally, the third strategy allows companies to develop high brand awareness.


Author(s):  
Jiuguang Feng ◽  
Liyan Song

Second Life (SL) is a multiuser virtual environment (MUVE) that can be used to enhance students’ learning. It is a virtual environment constructed by SL residents, where students can engage in collaborative learning with other SL residents. In the field of education, SL has been used as a professional tool, a synchronous online system, a virtual environment mimicking real life, a platform for role-playing, a communication tool between teachers and students. This chapter focuses on education-oriented research activities conducted in SL. The authors explain and analyze SL usage in higher education, foreign language instruction as well as investigated its contribution to various learning paradigms, and suggested future research directions.


Author(s):  
Ivonne Citarella

Over the years, the virtual space has been changing, and the skills acquired by users have been improved, and the avatars, as well as the settings, have graphically become more and more sophisticated. In virtual reality, the avatar without an appropriate animation would move in jerks in a disharmonious way similar to a robot, but endowing it with a particular postural animation, you make a conscious choice of what information you want to transfer with its appearance and its posture. In recent years, research has focused on the study of communication and its importance. The purpose of this contribution is to analyze the animations present in Second Life trying to trace a socio-psychological picture of the non-verbal communication process in a virtual environment.


Author(s):  
Constance Johnson ◽  
Kevin Feenan ◽  
Glenn Setliff ◽  
Katherine Pereira ◽  
Nancy Hassell ◽  
...  

The authors developed an immersive diabetes community to provide diabetes self-management education and support for adults with type 2 diabetes. In this article the authors describe the procedures used to develop this virtual environment (VE). Second Life Impacts Diabetes Education & Self-Management (SLIDES), the VE for our diabetes community was built in Second Life. Social Cognitive Theory, behavioral principles and key aspects of virtual environments related to usability were applied in the development in this VE. Collaboration between researchers, clinicians and information technology (IT) specialists occurred throughout the development process. An interactive community was successfully built and utilized to provide diabetes self-management education and support. VEs for health applications may be innovative and enticing, yet it must be kept in mind that there are substantial effort, expertise, and usability factors that must be considered in the development of these environments for health care consumers.


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