A real-time fire evacuation system based on the integration of Building Information Modeling and Augmented Reality

Abstract

In the past decade, the drawings in construction projects' standard fire evacuation routes are usually guided in two-dimensional (2-D) views to explain hazardous areas and evacuation routes. Common users cannot interpret the drawings quickly, understand their exact position within the building, and select appropriate evacuation routes. Thus, when fires occur, the construction project's fire can cause damages, and the number of dead or injured workers involved can be high. Nowadays, Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Augmented Reality (AR) are used in construction projects to create construction in a three-dimensional (3-D) visualization. This study aims to create a prototype application that combines Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Augmented Reality (AR) to improve the fire evacuation system and provide real-time access to information for evacuating from hazardous locations. A marker-based location system was implemented, using a marker as a spatial index to link the physical location and virtual information. The system was tested for accuracy using the proposed system and the MATALL Laser Distance Meter on the 4th floor of the Department of Civil Engineering Building at Chulalongkorn University. The results showed that the average percentage difference from the current location to the exit measured by the proposed system was lower than that measured by the MATALL Laser Distance meter, with an average percentage difference of less than 2.2%. Therefore, the proposed system effectively provides real-time access to information such as the current location, exit, distance of the shortest route from the current location to the destination, and virtual green line, voice, and arrow direction for evacuation guidance. It is convenient for decision-making and helps users find destinations quickly and efficiently.