Using cognitive agent-based simulation for the evaluation of indoor wayfinding systems
This work addresses the need for effective evaluation tools for wayfinding and signage planning in large infrastructures, but it is incremental as it builds on existing simulation approaches.
The paper tackled the problem of evaluating indoor wayfinding systems by developing a cognitive agent-based simulation that incorporates visual cognition and stochastic perception, validated with empirical data from 20 participants in a virtual reality environment, showing it contributes to simulating human wayfinding.
This paper presents a novel approach to simulate human wayfinding behaviour incorporating visual cognition into a software agent for a computer aided evaluation of wayfinding systems in large infrastructures. The proposed approach follows the Sense-Plan-Act paradigm comprised of a model for visual attention, navigation behaviour and pedestrian movement. Stochastic features of perception are incorporated to enhance generality and diversity of the developed wayfinding simulation to reflect a variety of behaviours. The validity of the proposed approach was evaluated based on empirical data collected through wayfinding experiments with 20 participants in an immersive virtual reality environment using a life-sized 3D replica of Vienna's new central railway station. The results show that the developed cognitive agent-based simulation provides a further contribution to the simulation of human wayfinding and subsequently a further step to an effective evaluation tool for the planning of wayfinding and signage.