A study of pedestrian wayfinding behavior based on desktop VR considering both spatial knowledge and visual information

Abstract

Understanding pedestrian wayfinding behavior is crucial for traffic management and building design. The use of virtual reality technology presents an efficient approach for investigating pedestrian wayfinding behavior in large public spaces, offering numerous advantages for data collection. However, the impact of different scenario dimensions on pedestrian wayfinding behavior in large public spaces remains unclear. Additionally, the selection of virtual experiment scenario dimensions currently relies primarily on researchers’ experience and practical conditions, lacking sufficient evidence to support their rational. Another challenge is the limited focus on spatial knowledge’s effect on wayfinding behavior, with insufficient analysis of the utility of pedestrian visual information and a lack of precise methods to quantify visual field information accurately. This study addresses these gaps by incorporating spatial knowledge at multiple scales and pedestrian visual field information as influencing factors in the analysis of wayfinding behavior. Furthermore, it distinguishes between three-dimensional and two-dimensional scenarios to compare the impact of dimensional differences on pedestrian wayfinding behavior. By analyzing behavior data from non-immersive wayfinding experiments, this research employs statistical analysis methods and a deep learning framework to derive results regarding the factors influencing wayfinding behavior. The findings demonstrate that considering both spatial and visual field information effectively enhances the predictive ability of the wayfinding model. Additionally, dimensional differences significantly influence the pedestrian wayfinding process. These results offer empirical evidence to guide researchers in selecting experimental scenarios of pedestrian behavior and provide insights for public space layout, signage design, and improving pedestrian efficiency.