Kenichiro Shimura

An agent model of pedestrian and group dynamics: experiments on group cohesion

The simulation of pedestrian dynamics is a consolidated area of application for agent-based based models; however generally the presence of groups and particular relationships among pedestrians is treated in a simplistic way. This work describes an innovative agent-based based approach encapsulating in the pedestrians behavioural model effects representing both proxemics and a simplified account of influences related to the presence of groups in the crowd. The model is tested in a simple scenario to evaluate the effectiveness of mechanisms to preserve groups cohesion maintaining a plausible overall crowd dynamic.

Towards an agent-based proxemic model for pedestrian and group dynamics: motivations and first experiments

The simulation of pedestrian dynamics is a consolidated area of application for agent-based models: successful case studies can be found in the literature and off-the-shelf simulators are commonly employed by end-users, decision makers and consultancy companies. These models, however, generally neglect or treat in a simplistic way aspects like (i) the impact of cultural heterogeneity among individuals and (ii) the effects of the presence of groups and particular relationships among pedestrians. This work is aimed, on one hand, at introducing some fundamental anthropological considerations on which most pedestrian models are based, and in particular Edward T. Halls work on proxemics. On the other hand, the paper describes an agent-based model encapsulating in the pedestrians behavioural model effects representing both proxemics and a simplified account of influences related to the presence of groups in the crowd. The model is tested in a simple scenario to evaluate the implications of some modeling choices and the presence of groups in the simulated scenario. Results are discussed and compared to experimental observations and to data available in the literature.Models for the simulation of pedestrian dynamics and crowds of pedestrians have already been successfully applied to several scenarios and case studies, off-the-shelf simulators can be found on the market and they are commonly employed by end-user and consultancy companies. However, these models are the result of a first generation of research efforts considering individuals, their interactions with the environment and among themselves, but generally neglecting aspects like (a) the impact of cultural heterogeneity among individuals and (b) the effects of the presence of groups and particular relationships among pedestrians. This work is aimed, on one hand, at clarifying some fundamental anthropological considerations on which most pedestrian models are based, and in particular Edward T. Hall’s work on proxemics. On the other hand, the paper will briefly describe the first steps towards the definition of an agentbased model encapsulating in the pedestrian’s behavioural model effects capturing both proxemics and influences due to potential presence of groups in the crowd.

Mobility analysis of the aged pedestrians by experiment and simulation

In coming decade, the aging rate will dramatically increase in advanced countries.Focus on the mobility issues where the elderly and young pedestrians are mixed.Cellular Automata model is created with aid of experiments.The model shows reasonable consistency with the experimental result.The compatibility of elderlys safety and youngs mobility is discussed. The relative weight of the population shifts from younger to elderly in the most of the region on the planet. Current aging rate in the advanced nations varies from 12% to 13% and is expected to increase up to 21-37% in 2050. The increase of aging rate in the society especially in the large city will lead a mobility problem. From a social quality point of view, it is important to achieve the compatibility between safety and mobility respectively for younger and elderly generation. For the purpose of understanding the basic characteristics of the pedestrian dynamics under cohabitation of younger and elderly generation, a Cellular Automata (CA) model is created with the aid of pedestrian experiments. Simulations are carried out to reproduce the experimental results and had shown a good agreement.

A cellular automata based model for pedestrian and group dynamics: motivations and first experiments

The simulation of pedestrian dynamics is a consolidated area of application for cellular automata based models: successful case studies can be found in the literature and off-the-shelf simulators are commonly employed by end-users, decision makers and consultancy companies. These models represent pedestrians as agents, but the overall system dynamics is determined simplistically: agents uniformly tend to reach the destination without colliding with obstacles and other pedestrians. Aspects like (i) the impact of cultural heterogeneity among individuals and (ii) the effects of the presence of groups and particular relationships among pedestrians are generally neglected or underestimated. This work describes a cellular automata based model, introducing an innovative behavioral model that encapsulates the theory of proxemics and a simplified representation of the influences determined by the presence of groups of pedestrians in the crowd. A simple scenario is reproduced to observe the influences on the pedestrian dynamics determined by the presence of groups in the crowd and to evaluate the implications of some modeling choices. Results are discussed and compared to experimental observations and to data available in the literature.

An Agent-Based Pedestrian and Group Dynamics Model Applied to Experimental and Real-World Scenarios

Pedestrian simulation is a consolidated area of application in which agent-based models are often employed; successful case studies are described in the literature and commercial, off-the-shelf simulators are commonly employed by decision makers and consultancy companies. Most state-of-the-art models, however, generally do not consider the explicit representation of pedestrians aggregations (groups) and their implications on the overall system dynamics. This work is aimed at discussing the relevance and significance of this research effort with respect to the need of empirical data about the implication of the presence of groups of pedestrians in different situations (e.g., changing density, spatial configurations of the environment). The article describes an agent-based model encompassing both traditional individual motivations (i.e., tendency to stay away from other pedestrians while moving toward the goal) and a simplified mechanism considering the cohesion effects related to the presence of groups in the crowd. The model is tested in a simple scenario to evaluate the implications of some modeling choices and the presence of groups in the simulated scenario. Moreover, the model is applied in a real-world scenario characterized by the presence of organized groups as an instrument for crowd management. Results are discussed and compared to experimental observations and to data available in the literature.

An agent-based proxemic model for pedestrian and group dynamics: motivations and first experiments

The simulation of pedestrian dynamics is a consolidated area of application for agent-based models: successful case studies can be found in the literature and off-the-shelf simulators are commonly employed by end-users, decision makers and consultancy companies. These models, however, generally neglect or treat in a simplistic way aspects like (i) the impact of cultural heterogeneity among individuals and (ii) the effects of the presence of groups and particular relationships among pedestrians. This work is aimed, on one hand, at introducing some fundamental anthropological considerations on which most pedestrian models are based, and in particular Edward T. Halls work on proxemics. On the other hand, the paper describes an agent-based model encapsulating in the pedestrians behavioural model effects representing both proxemics and a simplified account of influences related to the presence of groups in the crowd. The model is tested in a simple scenario to evaluate the implications of some modeling choices and the presence of groups in the simulated scenario. Results are discussed and compared to experimental observations and to data available in the literature.Models for the simulation of pedestrian dynamics and crowds of pedestrians have already been successfully applied to several scenarios and case studies, off-the-shelf simulators can be found on the market and they are commonly employed by end-user and consultancy companies. However, these models are the result of a first generation of research efforts considering individuals, their interactions with the environment and among themselves, but generally neglecting aspects like (a) the impact of cultural heterogeneity among individuals and (b) the effects of the presence of groups and particular relationships among pedestrians. This work is aimed, on one hand, at clarifying some fundamental anthropological considerations on which most pedestrian models are based, and in particular Edward T. Hall’s work on proxemics. On the other hand, the paper will briefly describe the first steps towards the definition of an agentbased model encapsulating in the pedestrian’s behavioural model effects capturing both proxemics and influences due to potential presence of groups in the crowd.

A Demonstration Experiment of a Theory of Jam-Absorption Driving

We have conducted an experiment to demonstrate “jam-absorption driving”, which is a method of driving with a single car to avoid being entangled in a jam by changing its headway and velocity dynamically. We used real cars on a circuit. In the experiment, the car doing jam-absorption driving takes a long headway in advance before a jam comes. We draw a time-space diagram and it is found the jam can be removed by this driving method.

Experimental investigation of pedestrian personal space

New generations of computer-based simulations of pedestrian crowd dynamics are aimed at improving both scientific knowledge about such complex social phenomena and practical use of the results for more efficient, safer management of pedestrian circulation dynamics in urban scenarios. Within this twofold framework, the validation of the developed models with field data plays a central role, and the acquisition of empirical evidence about human behavior during locomotion is mandatory. An empirical investigation of pedestrian personal space (i.e., the area surrounding an individual while walking and into which strangers cannot intrude without causing discomfort) is reported. The investigation was developed in an ad hoc experimental setting to collect meaningful data (e.g., measurements of the front zone of personal space under static and moving conditions). The main results are presented to illustrate both the adopted experimental setting and the related data-collection method. These results represent an innovative contribution toward defining a metric for the characterization of spatial interactions among pedestrians and allowing the validation of simulation models dedicated to the study of the dynamic behavior of pedestrian crowd phenomena.

An Agent-Based Proxemic Model for Pedestrian and Group Dynamics: Motivations and First Experiments

The simulation of pedestrian dynamics is a consolidated area of application for agent-based models: successful case studies can be found in the literature and off-the-shelf simulators are commonly employed by end-users, decision makers and consultancy companies. These models, however, generally neglect or treat in a simplistic way aspects like (i) the impact of cultural heterogeneity among individuals and (ii) the effects of the presence of groups and particular relationships among pedestrians. This work is aimed, on one hand, at introducing some fundamental anthropological considerations on which most pedestrian models are based, and in particular Edward T. Halls work on proxemics. On the other hand, the paper describes an agent-based model encapsulating in the pedestrians behavioural model effects representing both proxemics and a simplified account of influences related to the presence of groups in the crowd. The model is tested in a simple scenario to evaluate the implications of some modeling choices and the presence of groups in the simulated scenario. Results are discussed and compared to experimental observations and to data available in the literature.Models for the simulation of pedestrian dynamics and crowds of pedestrians have already been successfully applied to several scenarios and case studies, off-the-shelf simulators can be found on the market and they are commonly employed by end-user and consultancy companies. However, these models are the result of a first generation of research efforts considering individuals, their interactions with the environment and among themselves, but generally neglecting aspects like (a) the impact of cultural heterogeneity among individuals and (b) the effects of the presence of groups and particular relationships among pedestrians. This work is aimed, on one hand, at clarifying some fundamental anthropological considerations on which most pedestrian models are based, and in particular Edward T. Hall’s work on proxemics. On the other hand, the paper will briefly describe the first steps towards the definition of an agentbased model encapsulating in the pedestrian’s behavioural model effects capturing both proxemics and influences due to potential presence of groups in the crowd.

Cellular automaton model for hydrogen transport dynamics through metallic surface

Hydrogen re-emission and re-combination at the surface of first wall materials are a crucial issue for the understanding of the fuel recycling and for the tritium inventory in plasma facing materials. It is know to be difficult to model the transient behaviour of those processes due to their complex time-transient nature. However, cellular automata (CA) are powerful tools to model such complex systems because of their nature of discreteness in both dependent and independent variables. Then the system can be represented by the fully local interactions between cells. For that reason, complex physical and chemical systems can be described by fairly simple manner. In this study, the kinetics of desorption of adsorbed hydrogen from an ideal metallic surface is modelled in CA. Thermal desorption is simulated with this model and the comparison with the theory of rate processes is performed to identify the validity of this model. The overall results show that this model is reasonable to express the desorption kinetics.