Utilization of Spatial Topology Representation in Real Space Path Finding Using a Game Engine

Abstract

In dynamic environments where synchronization between the real and digital worlds is required, game engines are useful for agents’ pathfinding, and the navigation mesh system is one of its features. In the architectural and geographic fields, static descriptions which include spatial topology information, such as IFC and IndoorGML, have been implemented, but they have not been fully utilized for pathfinding. In this study, we examine the possibility of improving the efficiency of pathfinding in real space by using a navigation system in a game engine while using it in conjunction with existing spatial descriptions in the architectural field. We also show that the method can be used for scale-crossing pathfinding and decision making, and for clustering of node relationship graphs which is consistent with human intuitive understanding of space.