A Review of Dynamic Directional Exit Signage: Challenges & Perspectives

Over the last half-century, static exit signs have been widely introduced to premises and public infrastructure to serve as key parts of fire protection systems by demonstrating clear egress routes in emergencies. Driven by the rapid development of high-rise buildings and the booming global population, layouts in modern premises are becoming more complex, and their evacuation scale increases every decade. Thus, residents and occupants of buildings may face greater fire evacuation risks than ever before.

Recently, dynamic exit signs have been introduced to support fire evacuation by adapting to changing environments. However, the concept of the dynamic exit sign is still poorly defined, and there is limited academic research, codes and regulations, and applications in existing buildings. Today, the sophisticated implementation of dynamic exit signs still has a long way to go, especially as it faces pushback from the conservative construction industry, which has a lack of confidence and motivation for using new systems.

This report aims to improve social awareness of dynamic exit signs and promote the related research and code development. It first introduces the concept of the dynamic exit sign and systems of different intelligent levels. Then, current exit sign regulations and codes are reviewed, and the impact of dynamic exit signs are evaluated with present literature and case studies. Finally, the gaps in code development, technology, and scientific research that must be addressed before the widespread deployment of dynamic exit signs is discussed.