Handling obstacles in pedestrian simulations: models and optimization

TL;DR

This paper reviews obstacle handling in pedestrian simulations, introduces a new model ensuring obstacle impermeability and opacity without runtime adjustments, and uses optimization to improve evacuation times by strategically placing obstacles.

Contribution

It presents a novel obstacle modeling technique and applies Particle Swarm Optimization to enhance evacuation efficiency through optimal obstacle placement.

Findings

The new model guarantees obstacle impermeability and opacity.

Optimization reduces evacuation time by strategic obstacle placement.

The approach effectively exploits Braess's paradox in crowd dynamics.

Abstract

In this paper we are concerned with the simulation of crowds in built environments, where obstacles play a role in the dynamics and in the interactions among pedestrians. First of all, we review the state-of-the-art of the techniques for handling obstacles in numerical simulations. Then, we introduce a new modelling technique which guarantees both impermeability and opacity of the obstacles, and does not require ad hoc runtime interventions to avoid collisions. Most important, we solve a complex optimization problem by means of the Particle Swarm Optimization method in order to exploit the so-called Braess's paradox. More precisely, we reduce the evacuation time from a room by adding in the walking area multiple obstacles optimally placed and shaped.