title: BIM based virtual environment for fire emergency evacuation.
abstract: Recent building emergency management research has highlighted the need for the effective utilization of dynamically changing building information. BIM (building information modelling) can play a significant role in this process due to its comprehensive and standardized data format and integrated process. This paper introduces a BIM based virtual environment supported by virtual reality (VR) and a serious game engine to address several key issues for building emergency management, for example, timely two-way information updating and better emergency awareness training. The focus of this paper lies on how to utilize BIM as a comprehensive building information provider to work with virtual reality technologies to build an adaptable immersive serious game environment to provide real-time fire evacuation guidance. The innovation lies on the seamless integration between BIM and a serious game based virtual reality (VR) environment aiming at practical problem solving by leveraging state-of-the-art computing technologies. The system has been tested for its robustness and functionality against the development requirements, and the results showed promising potential to support more effective emergency management.
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering, Cardiff University, Queens Building, The Parade, Cardiff CF24 3AA, UK.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-6179-6856
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering, Cardiff University, Queens Building, The Parade, Cardiff CF24 3AA, UK.
authors.forename: Haijiang
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-6326-8133
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering, Cardiff University, Queens Building, The Parade, Cardiff CF24 3AA, UK.
authors.forename: Yacine
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Rezgui
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering, Cardiff University, Queens Building, The Parade, Cardiff CF24 3AA, UK.
authors.forename: Alex
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-0840-3675
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bradley
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering, Cardiff University, Queens Building, The Parade, Cardiff CF24 3AA, UK.
authors.forename: Hoang N
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Ong
mesh_terms: D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000379:methods*; D004779:Environment Design; D005160:Facility Design and Construction; D005390:Fires; D012984:Software