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Updated: Jul 2, 2025

Using a Virtual Reality Walking Simulator to Investigate Pedestrian Behavior
Published on: June 9, 2020
Egocentric Boundaries on Distinguishing Colliding and Non-Colliding Pedestrians while Walking in a Virtual
Alex D Hwang1, Jaehyun Jung1, Alex Bowers1
1Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Abstract:
Avoiding person-to-person collisions is critical for visual field loss patients. Any intervention claiming to improve the safety of such patients should empirically demonstrate its efficacy. To design a VR mobility testing platform presenting multiple pedestrians, a distinction between colliding and non-colliding pedestrians must be clearly defined. We measured nine normally sighted subjects' collision envelopes (CE; an egocentric boundary distinguishing collision and non-collision) and found it changes based on the approaching pedestrian's bearing angle and speed. For person-to-person collision events for the VR mobility testing platform, non-colliding pedestrians should not evade the CE.
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