Spatial knowledge and firefighters’ wayfinding performance: A virtual reality search and rescue experiment

Shi, Yangming; Kang, John; Xia, Pengxiang; Tyagi, Oshin; Mehta, Ranjana K.; Du, Jing

doi:10.1016/j.ssci.2021.105231

Cited by 46 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…It thus stands to reason that VR would be an especially important avenue for dissociating tactile sensations used to identify the target based on touch from interactivity in its purest and most isolated form. Indeed, VR and even augmented reality (AR) are being used more and more in the study of search—including search through realistic home scenarios (Olk et al, 2018), simulated search and rescue (Bacim et al, 2012; Shi et al, 2021), and drone-based search tasks (Dell-Agnola et al, 2020)—opening up avenues for the study of search in more realistic situations that more accurately mimic the real world and allow for considerable interactivity in multiple forms.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Examining the effects of passive and active strategy use during interactive search for LEGO® bricks.

Hout¹,

White²,

Madrid³

et al. 2022

Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied

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In many important search tasks, observers must find what they are looking for using only visual information (e.g., X-ray baggage screening/medical screening). However, numerous other search tasks can only be effectively completed when the searcher uses their hands to find what they are looking for (e.g., "rummage" search). Unfortunately, it is not currently well understood how observers conduct such "interactive" searches nor what the best strategies might be for doing so. Here, we first review the limited literature on interactive search. We then present a novel methodology for the study of interactive search that involves having observers seek out LEGO® targets in a cluttered tray of assorted bricks. In our validation task, we confirm the validity of this approach by demonstrating that it produces sensible patterns of diminishing returns in response time as targets are removed from the set as well as hastened search times for larger targets. In our experiment, we modify the approach, refining its systematicity and experimental control. We also build on prior work exploring strategy use in visual search by investigating the extent to which active and passive strategy use impacts performance in interactive search. In contrast to our prior findings in hybrid visual search (Madrid & Hout, 2019), our current findings suggest that in interactive search, an active search strategy can be superior to a passive one. We close by offering a conceptual model (the Interactive Multiple Decision Model [i-MDM]) that explicates the steps involved in a search task of this nature, and we then provide suggestions for how to further refine the task to achieve higher internal validity and to delve deeper into questions of theoretical importance in the field of interactive search. Public Significance StatementThe present study advances experimental methodology for the study of interactive visual search; that is, search that involves use of both the eyes and the hands. It also suggests that during interactive search in cluttered and busy search environments, the use of an active attentional strategy is more effective than a passive strategy.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Examining the effects of passive and active strategy use during interactive search for LEGO® bricks.

Hout¹,

White²,

Madrid³

et al. 2022

Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…A large amount of the previously published research that has employed VR technology was focused on employing VRE experiments as a simulation of wayfinding tasks in REs. However, in some cases, wayfinding tasks were not set up to represent REs, where the participant's performance was observed while navigating through a maze-like environment [28].…”

Section: Virtual Reality In Wayfinding Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhancing Wayfinding Performance in Existing Healthcare Facilities Using Virtual Reality Environments to Revise the Distribution of Way-Showing Devices

et al. 2022

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Wayfinding is the process of navigating the environment by using the available environmental cues. The issue of wayfinding difficulty in large healthcare facilities has grabbed the attention of many researchers in terms of its potential taxing effects on both users and institutions alike. While the challenge of regulating the process of designing wayfinding systems is still an active field of investigation, there has been a paucity of research addressing the challenge of distributing way-showing items based on users’ performance within healthcare environments. This study proposes a wayfinding enhancement scheme whereby users’ wayfinding performance data forms the basis of the process of distributing way-showing items within an outpatient unit in Malaysia. Furthermore, two virtual reality experiments were carried out, the first representing the existing wayfinding system and the second representing the new distribution. A cross-comparison between the two sets of results was conducted to evaluate the effect resulting from altering the as-built wayfinding system. The results indicated an overall reduction of time consumed to reach the same destinations as well as lesser distances traveled within the environment resulting from the implementation of the new distribution. This study puts forward the concept of implementing virtual reality environments to address wayfinding systems’ design challenges in healthcare facilities rather than relying on designers’ intuition.

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“…Wayfinding has been used extensively in evacuation and navigation experiments, since it creates affordances by prompting human actions [26,27]. Various studies have investigated design, and implementation of navigation processes such as wayfinding cues inside the VRE for training and evacuation applications [28].…”

Section: Wayfinding In Virtual Reality Training Simulationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wayfinding in Virtual Reality Serious Game: An Exploratory Study in the Context of User Perceived Experiences

2021

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Extended reality (XR) technologies such as virtual reality (VR) provide a promising alternative for training users through serious games (SGs). VR SGs allow people to train in emergency scenarios and improve their likelihood of survival in high-risk situations. Studies have shown that incorporating design elements such as wayfinding cues enhances the spatial knowledge of users in VR. However, the impact of these wayfinding cues on users’ psychological and psychometric behaviors needs thorough investigation. An SG was designed to investigate wayfinding cues’ psychological and psychometric effects on user-perceived experiences in an immersive VR environment. Thirty-nine participants experienced three variants of the VR SG using Oculus Rift- S. Participants in the control condition were exposed to the VR with no wayfinding cues, and the experimental groups were exposed to VR with static and dynamic wayfinding cues. Results showed that VR SG with wayfinding cues induced less tension, challenge, and negative affects in users’ overall perceived experience. Similarly higher positive affects were observed for the experimental groups with wayfinding cues. It was interesting to observe that there were no significant effects of wayfinding on competence, flow, and immersion; however, heart rate was significantly high in the control group. These findings suggest that wayfinding cues can promote the users perceived quality of experience in the VR.

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Spatial knowledge and firefighters’ wayfinding performance: A virtual reality search and rescue experiment

Cited by 46 publications

References 42 publications

Examining the effects of passive and active strategy use during interactive search for LEGO® bricks.

Examining the effects of passive and active strategy use during interactive search for LEGO® bricks.

Enhancing Wayfinding Performance in Existing Healthcare Facilities Using Virtual Reality Environments to Revise the Distribution of Way-Showing Devices

Wayfinding in Virtual Reality Serious Game: An Exploratory Study in the Context of User Perceived Experiences

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