PURPOSE
An intersection of a street or a corridor are a dangerous place where a blind spot would be generated, and a collision between pedestrians tend to happen.
Continuing to walk without noticing the presence of pedestrians appearing from the blind spot, collide with dangerous speeds and sometimes lead to serious accidents.
Cutting out the edge of the corner and securing sufficient visual perspective is effective for reducing the risk of collision, however, since the columns necessary for structure were often hidden behind the edge of corner, it is impossible to increase cutting out indiscriminately.
Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effective minimum size for cutting out the edge of the intersection for early detection of the pedestrian appearing from an intersection, by the experiment using the electrodermal activity measuring method and the virtual reality technology.
METHOD
15 college students participated with the experiment experienced the unlimited long virtual passage created with Vizard 5.0 (/WorldViz) where the intersections would be appearing regularly and continuously, through the head mounted display (Oculus Rift CV1 /Oculus).
The width and the height of the passage was 2000 mm and 2700 mm, and the intervals between the intersections was set on 35,000 mm. And at random timing, a virtual walking avatar were appearing from the blind spot of the intersections and crossing in the front of the subject.
To measure the mental stress caused by the corner shape of the intersection and the crossing of the avatar, the subjects were asked to wear three skin patches of the electrodermal activity meter (TS02 SPL /TechnoNext) on their left hand.
15 experimental conditions were created from the combination of the following independent experimental variables. Three types of avatar's appearance: "appearing from the right", "appearing from the left", "not appearing". Five depths of cutting out the corner of the intersection; "0 mm", "500 mm", "1000 mm", "1500 mm" and "2000 mm".
In addition, the condition that cutting depth was 0 mm and the avatar does not appear was referred to as the "reference condition", and the subjects experienced it seven times.
The subjects were randomly experienced these 15 experimental conditions continuously with two breaks in the middle.
RESULT
A multiple comparison was carried out for the reaction ratio of the electrodermal activity of each experimental condition.
The results indicated that the mental stress for the crossing pedestrian could be reduce by applying a cutting out of more than 1000 mm to the corner of the intersection.
And it was also indicated that the mental stress can be more significantly reduced by applying cutting out of more than 2000 mm.
Therefore, it was suggested that cutting out the corner of the intersection of about 1000 mm would give a certain effect on the safe passage design.
And although, it is not a realistic for an ordinary structured building, a greater effect could be expected with the cutting out the corner more than 2000 mm.
