Smart Distance LAb
Bridging technology, science, and the event sector to test physical distancing interventions.
In light of the Covid19 pandemic, new guidelines for organizing events and structuring buildings safely and with the least risk of contamination became of utmost priority. Together with the Smart Distance Lab, a collaboration between technology, science, and the event sector, HUBS condcuted several studies to test the efficacy of behavioral interventions (e.g., signage) to facilitate physical distancing in different social contexts.
SDL at the Art Fair
The first Smart Distance Lab took place in August 2020 and was conducted during an Art Fair in the Kromhouthal.
An art fair served as the host location for the first Smart Distance Lab.
Image credits: Matthijs Immink
At that time, in the absence of a vaccine, we had to rely on beahavioural interventions to mitigate virus spread by promoting physical distancing. This resulted in a public debate around the behavioural effects of face masks, signage, and nudges. The goal of the current study was to test out different behavioural interventions in real life. Over three days we varied different factors (face masks, signage, and feedback) and evaluated its effect on physical distancing.
The study analysed of visitor behavior under different physical distancing rules. Physical distancing is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of infectious diseases such as Covid19. Hence, several protocols have been adopted by the government to ensure physical distancing during the pandemic. The first Smart Distance Lab intended to investigate how effective those different protocols would prove in real life. During the first Smart Distance Lab at an art fair, the goal was to investigate the effect of three behavioural interventions onphysical distancing: firstly, visitors were asked to wear a face mask. Secondly, visitors were asked to follow walking directions. Finally, visitors received buzzers that would activate if the distance to other visitors fell below 1,5m.
You can find more information on the project and the results by viewing this presentation , report, and two scientific publications on experimental data and social distancing methodology.
The effectiveness of different behavioral interventions was measured and represented visually.
Image Credits: HUBS
SDL at the Supermarket
At the end of March 2021, the second Smart Distance Lab took place at a supermarket in Veldhoven. At the art fair, many visitors had indicated they felt unsafe in busy public spaces, like the supermarket. That’s why we wanted to test whether we could help visitors in keeping their distance in the supermarket.
The effectiveness of different physical distancing rules was tested in the supermarket space.
Image credits: Smart Distance Lab
Over seven days we varied behavioural interventions such as walking directions, a stop-light to indicate crowdedness, and rewarding people for keeping their distance.
The aim was to measure how successful different corona safety rules were in ensuring social distancing between visitors. Thus, rules such as wearing safety masks or walking according to walking directions were compared to each other for seven days.
The success of these interventions was determined by measuring the number and duration of contacts within 1,5m, in line with Dutch regulations. Using the analysis pipeline we developed for the art fair, we analyzed the data and found that the study also took into account the differences between crowds in the supermarket at varying times of the day.
For more information and results please visit this article published in Nature or this report.
SDL at the University of Amsterdam
In both 2021 and 2022 the third and fourth Smart Distance Labs took place at the University of Amsterdam. The results are currently being investigated. You can view a short videoclip about the experiment, which was published by the UvA.
Credits: Andrew Kambel, University of Amsterdam
For more information about SDL, have a look at the student projects of Floor Nauta and Samir van Rijn.