Application of virtual reality to human evacuation behavior

A simulator using virtual reality (VR) is developed as a new tool to study human evacuation behavior. The system is then applied to study evacuation from a maze. Comparing the results of experiments using the real maze and VR maze, both of which have the same structure, applicability and potential of VR for evacuation behavior are examined. Although there are problems to be solved, it is found that evacuation behavior can be simulated by the VR system, and the training using VR helps smooth evacuation from the maze.; Considering the issues related to education of disaster-prevention and disaster-fighting drills, such as human mannerism, decrease of participants and their low volition, and safety of the drill, the VR simulator developed here has high potential and can be a useful tool for disaster mitigation. This simulator can also he applied to study the safety of the structures in the planning and design, stages as well as existing ones from the view point of human evacuation.