Video games could save lives
Updated on 04 February 2009
Violent video games could be used to save lives, a computer scientist said .
Codes used to create virtual worlds for "shoot 'em up" games such as Doom 3 and Half Life 2 could be modified to build 3D fire safety simulators, according to research by Durham University.
The games' sophisticated software could be converted to recreate real buildings, then modified to create a number of emergency scenarios, much more easily and cheaply than traditional virtual reality programmes.
The study, published in the Fire Safety Journal, found that games in which the player saw the environment from the first person perspective and normally involved the player using weapons to fight a number of enemies, had the greatest capability to be converted.
The scientists said the simulations could identify problems with the layout of a building, help familiarise people with evacuation routines and teach people good practice in fire safety.
Lead author Dr Shamus Smith from Durham University's Computer Science department said: "Although virtual environment toolkits are available, they usually only provide a subset of the tools needed to build complete virtual worlds. Although you can create fire and smoke for example, it is not very straightforward.
"In order to include these features using toolkits, it often requires additional programming skills and a substantial time investment on the part of the developer.
"By using readily available computer games, these features can be very easily simulated and are obviously vital in creating a virtual fire evacuation scenario."
Steve Wharton, deputy community safety manager at County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service, said: "Using virtual models such as this one is an excellent way to raise fire safety awareness and test the effectiveness of a building's design.
"Virtual models also provide an effective way to train firefighters in a realistic, yet safe, environment."
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