The Trace Model: A model for simulation of the tracing process during evacuations in complex route environments

In emergency evacuations, not all pedestrians know the destination or the routes to the destination, especially when the route is complex. Many pedestrians follow a leader or leaders during an evacuation. A Trace Model was proposed to simulate such tracing processes, including (1) a Dynamic Douglas–Peucker algorithm to extract global key nodes from dynamically partial routes, (2) a key node complementation rule to address the issue in which the Dynamic Douglas–Peucker algorithm does not work for an extended time when the route is straight and long, and (3) a modification to a follower’s impatience factor, which is associated with the distance from the leader. The tracing process of pupils following their teachers in a primary school during an evacuation was simulated. The virtual process was shown to be reasonable both in the indoor classroom and on the outdoor campus along complex routes. The statistical data obtained in the simulation were also studied. The results show that the Trace Model can extract relatively global key nodes from dynamically partial routes that are very similar to the results obtained by the classical Douglas–Peucker algorithm based on whole routes, and the data redundancy is effectively reduced. The results also show that the Trace Model is adaptive to the motions between followers and leaders, which demonstrates that the Trace Model is applicable for the tracing process in complex routes and is an improvement on the classical Douglas–Peucker algorithm and the social force model.     

Effects of using a force feedback haptic augmented simulation on the attitudes of the gifted students towards studying chemical bonds in virtual reality environment

The aim of this study is to identify the effects of force feedback haptic applications developed in virtual reality environments (VREs), which is an important field of study in computer science and engineering, on gifted students’ attitudes towards chemistry education in learning process. A 3D 6 DOF (Degree of Freedom) haptik device (Phantom Omni?) has been used to develop the algorithm in this study. It can be used to transmit force and motion using a haptic device. Visual C++ was choosen as the software development environment. OpenGL? and Haptic Device Application Programming Interface have been used for rendering graphics. At the 3D image creation state Wrap 1200?, which is a kind of head-mounted display, has been chosen. The sample of this study consists of 52 students identified as gifted and are attending 6th and 7th grades at the Istanbul Science &; Art Center in Istanbul. The experimental group studied chemical bonds using an application developed by using a force feedback haptic device in VRE and the control group studied it by traditional teaching methods. The study reveals that there is a relation between using force feedback haptic applications which are developed in VREs and gifted students’ attitudes towards educational programs.