RESEARCH
Promoting digital transformation in the built environment
#Wildfire Hazard Mitigation
#NIST-USA
In this project, we will explore how video games can assist people in wildfire-prone areas in staying safer. We will develop, implement, and test a VR-based game to educate residents and encourage them to adopt appropriate safety measures. Additionally, we will investigate how socio-demographic factors such as age and income impact the effectiveness of the game. Ultimately, our goal is to improve community readiness for wildfires in the future.
Contact: z.feng1@massey.ac.nz / r.lovreglio@massey.ac.nz / d.paes@massey.ac.nz / f.ying@massey.ac.nz
#VR Knowledge Retention #Marsden
Safety training can save lives and must be repeated over time. Currently, the time intervals between training sessions are randomly set because no one knows how long people retain knowledge. Using VR and other training techniques, we aim to find it out and understand individuals differences. Our findings will provide empirical evidence for the design of safety training programs and establish a robust scientific foundation for safety regulations worldwide.
Contact: r.lovreglio@massey.ac.nz / z.feng1@massey.ac.nz / d.paes@massey.ac.nz
#VR Fire Extinguisher Training
#IFE-SG
Gamification is essential for enhancing training experiences. In collaboration with the Institution of Fire Engineers of Singapore, this research aims to develop a fully functional stand-alone VR application that provides remote training on conducting inspection and maintenance of fire extinguishers. The final application will be tested with trainees to assess its effectiveness as a training tool.
Contact: d.paes@massey.ac.nz / z.feng1@massey.ac.nz / r.lovreglio@massey.ac.nz
#AR Fire Safety Training
#Evacuation
In a fire emergency, building occupants must know how to increase their chances of survival, and for that, they must undergo adequate fire safety training. In this project, we developed and tested an AR-based fire safety training system. The experiment measured the impact of the AR-based training compared to conventional video-based training on participants’ knowledge acquisition and retention.
Contact: r.lovreglio@massey.ac.nz / d.paes@massey.ac.nz / z.feng1@massey.ac.nz
#AR Excavation
#PhD Research
Striking underground utilities can have severe consequences for human lives, the environment, and property. In this project, we aim to develop and evaluate an AR system that can accurately estimate distances to underground utilities and deliver real-time notifications to excavation equipment operators, promoting a safer and more productive workplace.
Contact: r.lovreglio@massey.ac.nz / z.feng1@massey.ac.nz / d.paes@masey.ac.nz / hesam.khorramishad@massey.ac.nz
#XR Pedestrian Crowd Dynamics
#Rutherford Discovery
Disasters like fires, terrorist attacks, earthquakes, and tsunamis, are increasingly causing loss of human lives globally each year. Effective evacuation plans minimize casualties and injuries in such situations. The design of infrastructure, including buildings and transportation, also significantly contributes to successful evacuation strategies. Dr. Lovreglio aims to create a generalized, 'timeless' evacuation model. Combining new technologies (virtual/augmented reality, 3D body scanning sensors, machine learning) with traditional field experiments, he aims to uncover the hidden rules affecting individual movement in crowds.
Contact: r.lovreglio@massey.ac.nz