Enhancing Wayfinding Performance in Existing Healthcare Facilities Using Virtual Reality Environments to Revise the Distribution of Way-Showing Devices
Wayfinding is the process of navigating the environment by using the available environmental cues. The issue of wayfinding difficulty in large healthcare facilities has grabbed the attention of many researchers in terms of its potential taxing effects on both users and institutions alike. While the...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Buildings |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/12/6/790 |
| _version_ | 1797489248634404864 |
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| author | Ammar Al-Sharaa Mastura Adam Amer Siddiq Amer Nordin Ameer Alhasan Riyadh Mundher Omar Zaid |
| author_facet | Ammar Al-Sharaa Mastura Adam Amer Siddiq Amer Nordin Ameer Alhasan Riyadh Mundher Omar Zaid |
| author_sort | Ammar Al-Sharaa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Wayfinding is the process of navigating the environment by using the available environmental cues. The issue of wayfinding difficulty in large healthcare facilities has grabbed the attention of many researchers in terms of its potential taxing effects on both users and institutions alike. While the challenge of regulating the process of designing wayfinding systems is still an active field of investigation, there has been a paucity of research addressing the challenge of distributing way-showing items based on users’ performance within healthcare environments. This study proposes a wayfinding enhancement scheme whereby users’ wayfinding performance data forms the basis of the process of distributing way-showing items within an outpatient unit in Malaysia. Furthermore, two virtual reality experiments were carried out, the first representing the existing wayfinding system and the second representing the new distribution. A cross-comparison between the two sets of results was conducted to evaluate the effect resulting from altering the as-built wayfinding system. The results indicated an overall reduction of time consumed to reach the same destinations as well as lesser distances traveled within the environment resulting from the implementation of the new distribution. This study puts forward the concept of implementing virtual reality environments to address wayfinding systems’ design challenges in healthcare facilities rather than relying on designers’ intuition. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T00:14:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-31d12357ce59425e94dea67b58e66f8f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-5309 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T00:14:48Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Buildings |
| spelling | doaj.art-31d12357ce59425e94dea67b58e66f8f2023-11-23T15:53:22ZengMDPI AGBuildings2075-53092022-06-0112679010.3390/buildings12060790Enhancing Wayfinding Performance in Existing Healthcare Facilities Using Virtual Reality Environments to Revise the Distribution of Way-Showing DevicesAmmar Al-Sharaa0Mastura Adam1Amer Siddiq Amer Nordin2Ameer Alhasan3Riyadh Mundher4Omar Zaid5Department of Architecture, Faculty of Built Environment, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, MalaysiaDepartment of Architecture, Faculty of Built Environment, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, MalaysiaCentre on Addiction Sciences (UMCAS), University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, MalaysiaFaculty of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Batu Pahat 86400, MalaysiaDepartment of Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Design and Architecture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, MalaysiaDepartment of Computer Science, Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, MalaysiaWayfinding is the process of navigating the environment by using the available environmental cues. The issue of wayfinding difficulty in large healthcare facilities has grabbed the attention of many researchers in terms of its potential taxing effects on both users and institutions alike. While the challenge of regulating the process of designing wayfinding systems is still an active field of investigation, there has been a paucity of research addressing the challenge of distributing way-showing items based on users’ performance within healthcare environments. This study proposes a wayfinding enhancement scheme whereby users’ wayfinding performance data forms the basis of the process of distributing way-showing items within an outpatient unit in Malaysia. Furthermore, two virtual reality experiments were carried out, the first representing the existing wayfinding system and the second representing the new distribution. A cross-comparison between the two sets of results was conducted to evaluate the effect resulting from altering the as-built wayfinding system. The results indicated an overall reduction of time consumed to reach the same destinations as well as lesser distances traveled within the environment resulting from the implementation of the new distribution. This study puts forward the concept of implementing virtual reality environments to address wayfinding systems’ design challenges in healthcare facilities rather than relying on designers’ intuition.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/12/6/790hospital environmentoutpatient unitvirtual realitywayfinding |
| spellingShingle | Ammar Al-Sharaa Mastura Adam Amer Siddiq Amer Nordin Ameer Alhasan Riyadh Mundher Omar Zaid Enhancing Wayfinding Performance in Existing Healthcare Facilities Using Virtual Reality Environments to Revise the Distribution of Way-Showing Devices Buildings hospital environment outpatient unit virtual reality wayfinding |
| title | Enhancing Wayfinding Performance in Existing Healthcare Facilities Using Virtual Reality Environments to Revise the Distribution of Way-Showing Devices |
| title_full | Enhancing Wayfinding Performance in Existing Healthcare Facilities Using Virtual Reality Environments to Revise the Distribution of Way-Showing Devices |
| title_fullStr | Enhancing Wayfinding Performance in Existing Healthcare Facilities Using Virtual Reality Environments to Revise the Distribution of Way-Showing Devices |
| title_full_unstemmed | Enhancing Wayfinding Performance in Existing Healthcare Facilities Using Virtual Reality Environments to Revise the Distribution of Way-Showing Devices |
| title_short | Enhancing Wayfinding Performance in Existing Healthcare Facilities Using Virtual Reality Environments to Revise the Distribution of Way-Showing Devices |
| title_sort | enhancing wayfinding performance in existing healthcare facilities using virtual reality environments to revise the distribution of way showing devices |
| topic | hospital environment outpatient unit virtual reality wayfinding |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/12/6/790 |
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