## 3 The Conceptual Framework Proposed
### Analyzing the Real-Use Environments and Implementing Living Labs
#### 3.2.6 Implementation  
When the priorities of living lab components are determined, the next step is to actually implement the living labs for the verification purposes. This step includes the physical configuration of the actual use environment of a product, based on the analyses from the previous steps. This is beyond the focus of this study, so no detailed explanation is provided here. Instead, this study provides an additional method for the cases, where some of the real-use environments cannot be physically implemented, despite higher priorities. In some cases, the physical configuration of living labs may be easier with less complex considerations. For example, in order to verify the test method for the noise measurement performance of a floor noise level meter, the key to the physical implementation of a living lab is to provide an apartment-like space in a building, and attach or insert sensors of the product on the ceiling of the living room or other rooms. Then, various noise situations, such as children running upstairs (i.e., artificial elements of the physical context), can be produced without much difficulty. In other cases, however, the dynamics of the real-use environment are very high, so it may not be possible to actually implement it. For example, it is impossible to fire a 12-floor building with many people inside, just to verify the test method of whether a fire evacuation solution guides the escape direction well to the users. If a fake fire is used instead, it cannot be confirmed that the test method can ensure the same performance of the solution in a real fire situation. Prior studies on fire-fighting training introduced the idea of interactive virtual reality simulations that enable fire-fighting trainees to practice their skills and tactics under realistic conditions. In the VR simulation, the properties of a building, such as building types (e.g., wooden unit) and the number of  
Figure 5: The Method for Prioritization. floors, are represented in a 3D model, and the actions of fire fighters, such as aiming a high pressure hose against the flame, are interactively performed [41]. Moreover, the dynamic fire situations such as fire power and spread are also simulated. For example, if the extinguishment agent thrown by a trainee is not enough to put out the fire, the fire power rises again [42]. The literature suggests that living labs can be implemented in a mixed form of physical spaces and virtual spaces if the dynamics of the real-use environment of a product cannot be all emulated physically in a living lab. For example, only minimal components are implemented in the physical space to interact with the virtual space, where more complex environments and dynamic situations are implemented. The smart evacuation solution by CONERS CO., Ltd. ([[http://www.corners.co.kr/](http://www.corners.co.kr/)]([http://www.corners.co.kr/](http://www.corners.co.kr/))) is a combination of products, software, and services to help quick evacuation in the event of indoor fire. When a fire is detected, the solution calculates the optimal escape route and then guides the escape directions (i.e., left, right, straight, no entry) through the emergency exit signages installed at each corner of the building. Suppose that we need to verify the method of testing whether the escape directions displayed on the exit signages can be well identified by users even in a dynamic fire situation. Since it is impossible put a building on fire for verification, an alternate way is to virtually build the real-use environments (e.g., other users' locations and activities; compatible devices such as wireless access points and built-in speakers; indoor structure and office furnishings) and then simulate the hypothetical events (e.g., vertical fire spread, violent flashover) in that virtual space. On the contrary, the degree to which the physical implementation is required is relatively low, since users can participate in the experiment, wearing head-mounted VR displays.