The purpose of this study is to develop a new VR disaster experience environment construction system with the function which automatically recognizes real world
objects’ shape and materials and makes their behaviors in a disaster simulation more real.
An evaluation experiment was conducted to examine whether material recognition improves a sense of reality and fear toward VR disaster experience. In the experiment, 12
university students experienced virtual earthquake, fire, and flood with and without material recognition. The result of earthquake experience showed no significant difference in
the evaluation of a sense of reality and fear between the experience with and without material recognition. As for fire experience, the evaluation of a sense of reality toward where
fire occurred in the experience with material recognition tended to be higher. However,
the evaluation of a sense of reality toward the size of fire and fear showed no significant
difference. The result of flood experience showed no significant difference neither in the
evaluation of a sense of reality nor fear.