Lukáš Herman

Empirical data on human evacuation behavior are invaluable for adjusting and training computational algorithms that simulate evacuation processes, including agent-based modeling. We provide a dataset on human decision-making during evacuations from virtual buildings, captured using experimental methods that controlled specific building layout parameters. An online experiment assigned participants a random subset of tasks featuring T-intersections. Data from 208 respondents, aged 17 to 71, were analyzed, considering education levels and excluding those with significant technical issues. Quantitative data on user interaction and evacuation route choices included decision time, mouse rotation, and the selected corridor, recorded through mouse clicks on invisible areas of interest. Respondents also self-reported their choice confidence on a Likert scale. Additionally, responses to final retrospective evaluation questionnaires were recorded. This dataset offers diverse research opportunities, particularly in emergency evacuation planning, where understanding evacuation choices in simulations can inform real-world strategies. It supports the development of models to predict human behavior in emergencies using machine learning and predictive modeling and is accessible for both academic and commercial use.

The building design is a crucial factor that can be actively adjusted and optimized to prevent human and property threats in emergency scenarios. Previous research suggests that specific building layouts may significantly influence human behaviour during evacuation. However, detailed empirical data about human behaviour in various types of buildings with different layouts are still missing and only marginal recommendations from this field are reflected in actual construction practice. In this study, desktop VR technologies were employed to study human decision-making in problematic T-intersections in the context of an emergency evacuation. More specifically, we studied fundamental attributes of buildings such as the width and length of the corridors and the presence of stairs to explore how they influence the choice of the evacuation route. The space-syntax isovist method was used to describe spatial parameters of corridors, which makes the results applicable to all buildings. Behavioural data from 208 respondents were analysed using multilevel regression models. Our results support previous claims concerning the importance of specific spatial layouts of evacuation corridors because respondents systematically chose wider and shorter corridors with visible staircases as the preferred evacuation route. The present findings further promote the ongoing discussion on the design of marked evacuation routes and building design that takes human factors into consideration.

Missing Maps is a humanitarian mapping project that maps vulnerable places in the developing world. Its outcomes are used to target aid in affected areas and to help achieve Sustainable Development Goals. A mapathon is an event in which a group of volunteers maps a defined location. The presented communication answers the following questions: What is the motivation of different contributors in the Missing Maps community in Czechia and Slovakia? How can a mapathon be set up to attract as many participants as possible? How exactly can the contributors to humanitarian mapping subjectively evaluate their contribution so far? A questionnaire about the motivation of contributors and the analysis of statistics from eighteen public mapathons in Brno (Czechia) were used as the primary research methods. The analysis of motivation found six strong motivators. Half of them concern altruism and half of them relate to the importance of the OpenStreetMap project and the mapping community. Analysis of the characteristics of 18 mapathons found that the month of the mapathon had a significant influence on the number of attendants. Statistical analysis confirmed a significant correlation between the number of edits and participants’ self-assessment. This means that humanitarian mappers evaluate their overall contribution very realistically. Analyses with an identical scope are planned for future years.

Asynchronous remote usability testing is a method based on a software platform used to automatically record test participants' activities when they interact with a given product in their natural environment, for example, at home. This method has been frequently used in previous decades in web design and mobile application development but has rarely been utilised in geovisualization. The importance of remote usability testing has rapidly increased in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 3DmoveR (3D Movement and Interaction Recorder) application was used for asynchronous remote testing presented in this paper. 3DmoveR is a research tool designed for user testing of interactive 3D visualizations in web browsers using open technologies such as PHP, JavaScript, and the Three.js library. This study focuses on an evaluation of interactive 3D city models presenting thematic information expressed by colour scale. An experiment was designed as a within-subject study consisting of two simple questionnaires, a training task and six experimental trials. Finding a building of a given category (depicted as building colour) within an interactive 3D city model was used as the experimental task. Speed and accuracy of user performances were recorded, as well as user strategy, subjective evaluations, and possible intervening variables. The results were recorded from 110 participants, where 76 of them were correct and analysed further. It can be concluded that the tested colour scale (based on the Energy Performance Certificate) was not entirely appropriate. We further analysed and discussed intervening variables that may affect remote usability testing of 3D visualizations.

This paper presents the results of an empirical economic data-based survey of the costs and revenues of geographical data and Web services across public administration in Czechia. The survey was composed of questionnaires and interviews. The data was collected from the 19 biggest public producers of geographical information and 25 organizations that use geographical information. The results focus on the economic consequences of data opening, splitting finances within public administration bodies, the prioritization of activities related to geographical information, licensing issues and life cycle planning etc. We also consider user opinions on the restrictions on the (re)use of geographical information of public administration, including open data.

From the user perspective, 3D geospatial data visualizations are one of the bridges between the physical and the digital world. As such, the potential of 3D geospatial data visualizations is frequently discussed within and beyond the digital twins. The effects on human cognitive processes in complex spatial tasks is rather poorly known. No uniform standards exist for the 3D technologies used in these tasks. Although stereoscopic geovisualizations presented using 3D technologies enhance depth perception, it has been suggested that the visual discomfort experienced when using 3D technology outweighs its benefits and results in lower efficiency and errors. In the present study, sixty participants using 3D technologies were tested in terms of their ability to make informed decisions in selecting the correct position of a virtual transmitter in a digital twin and a digital terrain model, respectively. Participants (n = 60) were randomly assigned into two groups, one using 3D technology engaging stereoscopic shutter glasses and the second working with standard computer screen-based visualizations. The results indicated that the participants who used shutter glasses performed significantly worse in terms of response time (W = 175.0; p < 0.001, r = −0.524). This finding verifies previous conclusions concerning the unsuitability of stereoscopic visualization technology for complex decision-making in geospatial tasks.