3D indoor environments in pedestrian evacuation simulations

Abstract

Using three-dimensional (3D) indoor environments in pedestrian evacuation simulations is increasingly active. However, a systemic review that reflects the latest advancements in this area is lacking. This paper surveys 3D indoor environments used in pedestrian evacuation simulations. Various physical and space components of 3D indoor environments are investigated by their semantics, topological relations and geometry. The results show reasons for the limited use of 3D indoor environments. First, semantics is oversimplified and lacks standardisation; second, the expression of topological relations is mainly based on the simplified boundary of objects’ shape; at last, 3D geometry is insufficient for simulating some pedestrian motions and behaviours in 3D space. This paper itemises three priority areas for future research: 1) to enrich semantics and topological relations, 2) to further investigate 3D geometry, and 3) to foster the standardisation of 3D indoor environments. This work can stimulate more studies using realistic 3D indoor environments.