LAUSR

Abstract This study presents an evacuation experiment to test individual behavior in an interactive virtual environment. A total of 68 test scenarios were established, and 122 participants were recruited to take part in all the test scenarios. The results show that individual attributes, such as sex, education background, age, and evacuation experience, have a correlation with the participants’ ability of escaping in the virtual evacuation environment. Specifically, younger men with higher education level and evacuation experience may have a better ability of escaping. The comparison of the evacuation paths, directions, and times among 8 scenarios with different sets reveals that people prefer to select the shortest route, but keep away from the fire source as much as possible if a fire happens. On the other hand, other people compete with the individual for the available evacuation resources, but when the exit location is unknown, other people may help individuals find the exit. In addition, the visibility decreases in case of fire, which is the most difficult condition for escaping with the longest movement distance and most evacuation time. This study will be useful to understand the human behavior and movement characteristics during evacuation by using a cheap and safe method.