Durham University uses Valve's Source Engine for fire drill simulation

by Griffin McElroy on Feb 8th 2009 5:00PM

Researchers at England's Durham University recently found a use for Valve's Source Engine that doesn't involve crowbars, headcrabs or unsettling, suited men -- using the engine's relatively simple tools, they've begun making fire drill simulations by recreating some of the university's departments, then coating them in virtual flame. The simulations are designed to not only teach users good fire safety practices, but to see how users react when confronted with snarling, searing death.

On that note, the gaming community should feel particularly proud of the results researchers have witnessed when gaming veterans go through the simulator -- according to one researcher, "if a door was on fire, they [gamers] would try and run through it, rather than look for a different exit." Just in case they weren't aware, we feel compelled to bring the fellow denizens of our cultural niche this important PSA: Fire is hot, and it hurts when you touch it.

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Tags: durham-university, fire, half-life, source, valve

Reader Comments (24)

Hmm, I was up at that Uni's open day the other week. I should have found this department and just played TF2 with them all day instead.

Awesome

I got all my fire instructor training from Urban Chaos back on PS2...never stand in front of a door when there is smoke coming from underneath unless your wielding a riot shield (Y)

What? I run through doors engulfed in fire all the damn time.

Behavior tends to be different when you know you can try something over and over without consequences, than if you only get one try.

Doesn't involve headcrabs, crowbars, etc? Oh come on, I hope they threw in at least one headcrab for good measure.

"according to one researcher, "if a door was on fire, they [gamers] would try and run through it, rather than look for a different exit."

Hmm, it must not be too hard to get into Durham.

Can't be, I went there...

I wasn't in any fires - however my college did have an accommodation block which (way back in history) actually burned to the ground before it was even opened. Consequently the buildings had been fitted with ridiculously sensitive fire alarms, so we all had to stand outside in our pyjamas at least one day every few weeks after somebody burned toast. In 'we all' I exclude one of my friends who (at least on the night before a test) specifically wore earplugs so that he would be able to sleep through it if the fire alarm went off. Maybe that attitude to fire safety is what this experiment is aimed to prevent. :)

(This is the only post tagged durham-university. Awww.)

"20% of subjects simply turned off the game's sound and ignored it"

I run through flaming doors because I keep a medkit downstairs and some health drink, which can instantaneously cure all my wounds, including the status ailment of being on fire.

I go through life only being able to see my hands and anything in said hands. I'll go through flaming hoops as long as my hands don't touch the sides.

Forget the fire, they're lucky the alarm didn't alert the horde...

100's of snarling, pizza hungry students charge through the doors

At least if it did alert the horde, they would all catch on fire trying to get to the people jumping through flaming doors....

Maybe they didn't realize they only had 125hp and hoped they'd make it to the nearest medpack.

Happens to me an awful lot of time when I try to take on Pyro's as a Scout. Puff! and a dead prick.