Gaze Point in the Evacuation Drills: Analysis of Eye Movement at the Indoor Wayfinding

Abstract

Signage systems are the main means of resolving the wayfinding problem in an emergency evacuation. However, recent literature has proven that signage systems are often not effective in an indoor wayfinding decision-making situation. Many studies that attempted to solve the problem did not consider the interaction between the optimal location of signage systems and gaze characteristics. Therefore, this study aimed to provide basic database to determine the optimal location of signage by analysing the characteristics of eye movements according to the type of junction. To achieve this, we conducted evacuation experiments in a maze set composed of eight junctions that we created ourselves and analysed the eye movement data of participants with 5196 gaze points and duration of 895,581.49 ms. The result showed that participants most often look between 100 cm and 150 cm (vertical height) in the corridor and in junctions. In addition, the gaze points of the evacuees are quantified by the horizontal and vertical directions according to the type of junction where the wayfinding decisions occur. This investigation showed that there are marked differences depending on the type.

Optimal Installation Location of Escape Route Signs at T-Type Intersections

“…The lowest average DMTs were observed at y = 270 cm for the left arrow direction and at y = 150 cm for the right arrow direction. These results appear to be similar to the results of previous studies [26] in which the optimal installation location of the signs was proposed based on the analysis of the gaze point and eye movement data of the participants. In previous studies, the eye movement data obtained while the participants passed through the 2-m high maze-set were analyzed, and the gaze points of the evacuees were quantified in the horizontal and vertical directions according to the type of junction and corridor in which wayfinding decisions occurred.…”

“…Vertical heights between 100 and 150 cm attracted the gaze of the largest number of people, and vertical heights between 0 and 50 cm attracted the gaze of the fewest number of people. Although a direct comparison cannot be performed, owing to the different heights of the walls used in the experiment (2 m for the previous studies [26] and 3 m for this study), the average DMTs seemed higher in this study when the participants observed the signs installed at low locations as with the results of the previous studies, because the participants were less likely to notice the low locations of the wall. Therefore, the experimental results of this study indicate that the installation of signs at the low locations of the wall is highly likely to adversely affect the DMTs of occupants in an evacuation situation.…”

“…However, they did not explain the interaction between signs and humans according to the horizontal/vertical installation locations or arrow directions. Bae et al [26] conducted research to propose the installation locations of signs based on the analysis of the gaze points of evacuees at various intersections. The study, however, had limitations because experiments were performed at intersections with no installed signs, and the installation locations were determined based on the assumption that the efficiency of signs would increase if installed in locations that attract the attention of more people.…”

A Sustainable Evaluation Method for a Tourism Public Wayfinding System: A Case Study of Shanghai Disneyland Resort

“…Studies have been conducted on the objective factors influencing guidance indicators, the identification of the guidance system by traffic, and the application of topological networks using route-related and spatial relationships [16]. An effective navigation system can guide people to their destination and improve tourist safety [17].…”

The Possibilities of Using Virtual Environments in Research on Wayfinding

“…Eye-tracking glasses headsets can be used to pinpoint signi cant visual cues. Previous research has found that some evacuation signs are improperly placed and remain entirely unnoticed during evacuation (Bae et al, 2020). Environmental characteristics also affect decision-making.…”