INTEGRATING CONFIGURATIONAL ANALYSIS AND AGENT-BASED MODELING FOR INCLUSIVE WAYFINDING: AN ERGONOMIC FRAMEWORK FOR MUSEUM ENVIRONMENTS

Abstract

Designing a museum visitor experience is a complex challenge that involves both exhibition aspects and the cognitive processes involved in reading/interpreting the space and understanding pathways. From an ergonomic perspective that focuses on the interaction between the museum environment and visitors, it is important to consider wayfinding in an adaptive and inclusive way to ensure expanded usability, especially for users with special needs. The potential offered by the digitization of heritage today allows the use of models capable of simulating scenarios of use in relation to the spatial configuration, the exhibited content, and visitor behavior. Studies conducted on the Space Syntax methodology show how spatial configuration influences the perception and interpretation of routes and artworks. At the same time, Agent-Based Models simulate the behavior of different users in virtual environments that match real-world conditions, providing information on disorientation, crowding, and accessibility. Although these models are available, they are often applied separately, preventing a unified view of usage dynamics. Their operational convergence would allow for a deeper understanding of how space is used, considering that people's movement structures space and, conversely, influences behavior and exhibition choices. This paper therefore explores this integration to support flow assessment and guide design decisions. The case study of the "Amedeo Maiuri" archaeological museum in Veroli made it possible to test predictive models on a controllable scale. Preliminary results highlight critical issues in spatial interpretation and suggest design directions to improve its intelligibility. Future integration into BIM-based tools could enable coordinated management of inclusive wayfinding systems.