Abstract
This paper describes an innovative integration of eye tracking (ET) with virtual reality (VR) and details the application of these combined technologies for the adaptive reuse redesign of the Wudaokou rail station in Beijing. The objective of the research is to develop a hybrid approach, combining ET and VR technologies, as part of an experimental study of how to improve wayfinding and pedestrian movement in crowded environments such as those found in urban subway stations during peak hours. Using ET analysis, design features such as edges, and color contrast are used to evaluate several proposed rail station redesigns. Through VR and screen-based ET, visual attention and related spatial responses are tracked and analyzed for the selected redesign elements. This paper assesses the potential benefits of using ET and VR to assist identification of station design elements that will improve wayfinding and pedestrian movement, and describes how the combination of VR and ET can influence the design process. The research concludes that the combination of VR and ET offers unique advantages for modeling how the design of rail transit hub interiors can influence the visual attention and movement behavior of those using the redesigned station. This is especially true for crowded conditions in complex interior spaces. The use of integrated ET and VR technology is shown to inform innovative design approaches for facilitating improved wayfinding and pedestrian movement within redesigned rail stations.
Highlights
China is a world leader in the construction and use of urban rail networks
To meet these challenges and take advantage of opportunities, there is a need for advanced design tools to better understand how redeveloped structures can better meet the needs of current and future demands
eye tracking (ET) and virtual reality (VR) have ascended beyond entertainment and evolved into an essential tool for architecture and urban planning practitioners
Summary
China is a world leader in the construction and use of urban rail networks. As a result of the large investments by Chinese cities in urban rail infrastructure over the past two decades, seven of the world’s 12 largest subway systems are located in China, with additional urban rail infrastructure planning and under construction [1]. The rapid rise in the use of urban rail transit in Chinese cities has created challenges in both providing new infrastructure and redeveloping existing infrastructure made functionally obsolete by increased numbers of passengers and rising expectations of the transit experience. To meet these challenges and take advantage of opportunities, there is a need for advanced design tools to better understand how redeveloped structures can better meet the needs of current and future demands. ET and VR have ascended beyond entertainment and evolved into an essential tool for architecture and urban planning practitioners Research using these technologies has demonstrated their utility for designers in multiple ways [7]. The technology allows viewers to experience the designed space at full scale, something that before this technology was available, could happen only after a building or space was built or rebuilt
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