arXiv subjects

MJ Johns

Publications and source records attributed to MJ Johns.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Smells Like Fire: Exploring the Impact of Olfactory Cues in VR Wildfire Evacuation Training

This paper presents a pilot study exploring the effects of an olfactory stimulus (smoke) for a Virtual Reality game designed to support wildfire evacuation preparedness. Participants (N=18) were split evenly into either a smoke or a control condition, and both completed the same evacuation task. Post-task surveys assessed the participants' perceived preparedness and overall experience. Initial findings suggest participants in the smoke condition reported significantly higher immersion compared to those in the control condition. Across both groups, participants expressed an increased sense of preparedness for real-world wildfire evacuations following the experience.

cs.HC↗

arXiv2025

Utilizing Virtual Reality for Wildfire Evacuation Training

The risk of loss of lives and property damage has increased all around the world in recent years as wildfire seasons have become longer and fires have become larger. Knowing how to prepare and evacuate safely is critical, yet it may be daunting for those who have never experienced a wildfire threat before. This paper considers the potential for utilizing virtual reality (VR) technology to prepare people for an evacuation scenario. We discuss the unique affordances of VR for this type of work, as well as the initial steps in creating a training simulation. We also explore the next steps for what a tool like this may mean for the future of evacuation preparedness training.

cs.HC↗

arXiv2024

Info Overload: A Cooperative Evacuation Game

Info Overload is a minigame within a larger collection aimed at increasing awareness and preparation for an evacuation in the event of a wildfire. The game relies on experiential two-player cooperative gameplay and is played on a mobile device (a phone or tablet).

cs.HC↗

arXiv2024

DinAR: Augmenting Reality for Sustainable Dining

Sustainable food is among the many challenges associated with climate change. The resources required to grow or gather the food and the distance it travels to reach the consumer are two key factors of an ingredient's sustainability. Food that is grown locally and is currently "in-season" will have a lower carbon footprint, but when dining out these details unfortunately may not affect one's ordering preferences. We introduce DinAR as an immersive experience to make this information more accessible and to encourage better dining choices through friendly competition with a leaderboard of sustainability scores. Our study measures the effectiveness of immersive AR experiences on impacting consumer preferences towards sustainability.

cs.HC↗