Presentation
Virtual Reality Meets Landslides: Understanding Human Responses to Improve Disaster Readiness
DescriptionLandslides are a significant danger to lives and infrastructure, particularly in hilly terrain. Though conventional training techniques cannot adequately prepare individuals for such disasters in a safe manner, virtual reality (VR) is an innovative method of simulating risky scenarios in a controlled environment. This research investigates how individuals react and physiologically respond—using heart rate variability (HRV)—when presented with landslide hazards in a VR driving simulation. Eighty participants were randomly allocated into one of four conditions that differed in landslide probability (high vs. low) and lighting (day vs. night). The most significant behavioral measures such as driving speed, collisions, and spatial deviation were examined in conjunction with HRV measures such as PNN50 and sympathetic nervous system activity. The findings identified that the perceived risk—rather than lighting—had a very significant impact on behavior and stress levels. Individuals in high-risk situations drove faster, crashed more often, and displayed more pronounced physiological responses. These results indicate that VR has the ability to simulate realistic scenarios of disasters, and therefore, is a useful training and preparedness tool. By investigating both behavioral and physiological responses, this study adds to our knowledge of human performance and emphasizes the importance of human factors in disaster response design.
Contributors
Alternate Presenter
Event Type
Lecture
TimeTuesday, October 14th5:10pm - 5:30pm CDT
LocationGrand A
Safety