Analyzing Stop-and-Go Waves by Experiment and Modeling

TL;DR

This paper investigates stop-and-go waves in pedestrian traffic through experiments and develops a calibrated spatially continuous model that accurately reproduces observed phenomena and velocity distributions.

Contribution

It introduces an adaptive velocity model that is calibrated and validated against experimental data, capturing the coexistence of phases and wave dynamics in pedestrian flow.

Findings

The velocity-density relation shows two phases coexisting at one density.

The adaptive velocity model accurately reproduces stop-and-go wave phenomena.

Model validation includes matching velocity distributions at fixed densities.

Abstract

The main topic of this paper is the analysis and modeling of stop-and-go waves, observable in experiments of single lane movement with pedestrians. The velocity density relation using measurements on a 'microscopic' scale shows the coexistence of two phases at one density. These data are used to calibrate and verify a spatially continuous model. Several criteria are chosen that a model has to satisfy: firstly we investigated the fundamental diagram (velocity versus density) using different measurement methods. Furthermore the trajectories are compared to the occurrence of stop-and-go waves qualitatively. Finally we checked the distribution of the velocities at fixed density against the experimental one. The adaptive velocity model introduced satisfies these criteria well.