Using virtual reality to determine how emergency signs facilitate way-finding

In this study, virtual reality was the tool used to construct an experimental space. Three scenarios – one without emergency signs, another with an old-version emergency sign, and the third with a new-version emergency sign – were created, after which 107 subjects, divided into three groups, engaged in an emergency escape game to determine if and how various emergency signs aid in way-finding in the event of an emergency. Under the presupposition that the minimum time needed for an emergency escape without any mistake occurring was 40 s, we found that the average way-finding time in the scenario without any emergency signs was 123.8 s, for the scenario with the new-version signs 84.8 s, and for the scenario with the old-version signs 75.6 s; statistically, this demonstrated that the absence of signs results in slower escape than either old signs (p = 0.001) or new signs (p = 0.005). These findings indicate that signs do help way-finding greatly. Males were found to exhibit better way-finding skills than females (p < 0.001). Construction workers and fire safety personnel, as a combined group, did not fare better than others with less presumed prior experience with building plans or emergency exit procedures. In addition, when faced with both an emergency direction sign and an exit door, almost half of the subjects (42% of the participants) were chosen to take the door instead of following the direction posted on the sign. Finally, we found that, at T-intersections, the majority of participants (60%) chose to turn left versus right.