Page 255 - Proceeding of Atrans Young Researcher's Forum 2019

“Transportation for A Better Life:
Smart Mobility for Now and Then”

23 August 2019, Bangkok, Thailand

Applicability of VR Technology for Evaluation of Walkability
near Narita Station, Japan
Identification number: AYRF2019-037
2
3
1
Hiroto NUMA , Hironori OZAWA , Mizuki SAKAI , Atsushi FUKUDA 4

1 Program of Transportation Systems Engineering,
Graduate School of Science and Technology, Nihon University
Tel. +81-47-469-5355, Fax. +81-47-469-5355
E-mail: cshi18011@g.nihon-u.ac.jp

2 Asia Air Survey Co., Ltd.
Tel. +81-44-967-6170, Fax. +81-44-955-4743
E-mail: cshi17006@g.nihon-u.ac.jp

3 Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd.
Tel. +81-3-3434-3171, Fax. +81-3-3434-3171
E-mail: csmi15051@g.nihon-u.ac.jp

4 Department of Transportation Systems Engineering,
College of Science and Technology, Nihon University
Tel. & Fax. +81-47-469-5355
E-mail: atsushi.fukuda@nihon-u.ac.jp

Abstract
In recent years, the improvement of street space around the railway station has been promoted due to
growing interest in barrier-free. For such improvement, it is necessary to evaluate the walking environment
based on a field survey to grasp the existing condition. However, in field survey, respondents have to go
directly to the site and there are various limitations such as being affected by the weather, which often makes
implementation difficult. For this problem, using VR technology, which has been developed in recent years,
it can be considered that survey about walking environment can be conducted without conducting field
survey. Therefore, in this research, with the aim of giving an opportunity to carry out the walking environment
evaluation more efficiently and simply by using the VR technology, the characteristics and problems of
walking environment evaluation using VR are grasped by comparison of the differences between the
evaluation results of field survey and VR survey. And the results of them are compared and grasped the
characteristics and usefulness of walking environment evaluation using VR. As the result of comparison of
the evaluation scores of walkability by the field survey and by using VR, it is confirmed that the same result
with the field survey could be obtained by the survey using the VR technology shows almost. It is concluded
that the survey method for walkability by using VR technology is applicable.

Keywords: VR, Walkability, Walking Environment, AHP, Questionnaire

1. General Introduction often difficult. One of the ways to solve this problem
In the area around the urban railway station, is to use VR technology, which has been developed
the development of a walking environment is in recent years, to evaluate walkability of walking
required to promise safe and comfortable movement, environment without conducting a field survey.
and for that purpose it is essential to evaluate the So, in this research, it is aimed to confirm
walkability of walking environment based on the the effectiveness of the method to evaluate
field survey. However, the implementation of the walkability by using VR technology, and to grasp the
field survey depends on weather, and there are many subject in applying this method.
restrictions such as the respondents have to visit
directly to the survey place, so the implementation is

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