Augmented reality for pedestrian evacuation research: Promises and limitations

Abstract

Evacuation effectively mitigates potential harm for building occupants in case of emergencies. Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR and AR) have emerged as research tools and means to enhance evacuation preparedness and effectiveness. Unlike VR, where users are immersed in computer-generated environments, the more novel AR technology allows users to experience digital content merged into the real world. Here, we review current (2020) relevant literature on AR as a tool to study and improve building evacuation triggered by a variety of disasters such as fires, earthquakes or tsunami. Further, we provide an overview of application goals, existing hardware and what evacuation stages can be influenced by AR applications. Finally, we discuss strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities (SWOT) of AR to study evacuation behaviour and for research purposes.