Zhang, X.; Huang, J. and Wang, D. (2026) A quantitative method for indoor trajectory analysis of older adults for spatial evaluation and optimization. Building Research & Information, 54(6), pp. 753-774. ISSN 0961-3218
Abstract
As population aging intensifies, improving the aging-friendly level of residential environments for older adults has become an important issue. In indoor environments, behavioural trajectories are closely associated with spatial layout, and frequent turning increases physical burden. However, existing studies mainly focus on behaviour recognition and anomaly detection, lacking quantitative trajectory analysis and its integration with spatial evaluation. To address this gap, this study proposes a quantitative and classification method for behavioural trajectories of older adults and establishes a trajectory-based framework for residential space evaluation and optimization. A Segmented Perpendicular Distance Deviation method is introduced for turning detection and feature extraction. Four indicators are constructed, including perpendicular distance, path length, turning frequency and curvature coefficient. Trajectories are classified into four categories: go straight, small turn, moderate turn and big turn. K-means clustering is applied to achieve objective classification, with classification accuracy exceeding 91%. The method is validated using Binhu Yayuan. The results demonstrate that reducing turning frequency, path length and the proportion of big turns can significantly improve aging-friendly performance. In addition, linear topology, shorter distances between activity nodes, and reduced island-type furniture arrangements contribute to smoother movement trajectories.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | aging-friendly optimization; behavioural trajectory; k-means clustering; older adults; spatial layout evaluation; trajectory quantification |
| Index terms: | movement, accuracy, population, clustering, integration, quantification, deviation, quantitative method, indoor environment, topology |
| Subjects: | data analysis and analytics, professional development, demography, data science, financial and cost management, measurement and scaling, geometry and topology, environmental science, organizational analysis, health behaviours and lifestyles |
| Topics: | Cost Management, Urban Studies, Digital Applications, Research Practice, Organizational Design, Information Management, Sustainability |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTA |
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