New Wayfinding Techniques in Pathfinder and Supporting Research

Thornton, Charles; O’Konski, Richard; Klein, Bryan W.; Hardeman, Brian; Swenson, Daniel

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-02447-9_108

Cited by 9 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 1 publication

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“…Pathfinder is pedestrian simulation evacuation software equipped with a user interface, simulator, and a 3D visualization system capable of simulating diverse scenarios [11]. In the simulation, Pathfinder can automatically detect evacuation space density and adjust pedestrian speeds accordingly [12].…”

Section: Comparison and Validationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mesoscopic evacuation model based on adaptive grids partitioning

Feng,

Yang

2024

Fourth International Conference on Applied Mathematics, Modelling, and Intelligent Computing (CAMMIC 2024)

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Crowd evacuation stands as a critical subject in urban planning and emergency management. However, owing to the intricate and unpredictable nature of crowd behavior, coupled with the diverse urban environments, achieving effective crowd evacuation remains a formidable challenge. To delve into the nuanced variations during crowd evacuation, we introduce a mesoscopic evacuation model based on adaptive grids partitioning. This model involves performing adaptive grids partitioning according to crowd density within the designated grid density analysis range in the evacuation scenario. In this approach, we conduct evacuation simulation experiments by simulating pedestrian flow through density flow between grids. The experimental results demonstrate that adaptive grids partitioning aptly responds to microscopic changes in the crowd evacuation process. The mesoscopic evacuation model proposed in this paper notably enhances the utilization rate of evacuation exits. The comparative visualization simulation experiments using Pathfinder software attests to the smoothness and reliability of the model.

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Section: Comparison and Validationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mesoscopic evacuation model based on adaptive grids partitioning

Feng,

Yang

2024

Fourth International Conference on Applied Mathematics, Modelling, and Intelligent Computing (CAMMIC 2024)

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“…Similarly, for each run, the initial occupant location within the domain has been randomized. Due to the algorithms present in Pathfinder (the locally quickest path algorithm [24]), route choice will also vary between runs as a result of occupant characteristics and positioning.…”

Section: Points Of Interest Chosen For the Case Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

Multifactor Variance Assessment for Determining the Number of Repeat Simulation Runs in Evacuation Modelling

2021

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Evacuation models commonly employ pseudorandom sampling from distributions to represent the variability of human behaviour in the evacuation process, otherwise referred to as ‘behavioural uncertainty’. This paper presents a method based on functional analysis and inferential statistics to study the convergence of probabilistic evacuation model results to inform deciding how many repeat simulation runs are required for a given scenario. Compared to existing approaches which typically focus on measuring variance in evacuation times, the proposed method utilises multifactor variance to assess the convergence of a range of different evacuation model outputs, referred to as factors. The factors include crowd density, flowrates, occupant locations, exit usage, and queuing times. These factors were selected as they represent a range of means to assess variance in evacuation dynamics between repeat simulation runs and can be found in most evacuation models. The application of the method (along with a tool developed for its implementation) is demonstrated through two case studies. The first case study consists of an analysis of convergence in evacuation simulation results for a building including 1855 occupants. The second case study is a simple verification test aimed at demonstrating the capabilities of the method. Results from the case studies suggest that multifactor variance assessment provides a more holistic assessment of the variance in evacuation dynamics and results provided by an evacuation model compared to existing methods which adopt single factor analysis. This provides increased confidence in determining an appropriate number of repeat simulation runs to ensure key evacuation dynamics and results which may be influenced by pseudorandom sampling are represented.

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“…In the steering mode, Pathfinder uses a combination of steering and collision handling mechanisms to control how the passengers achieve their goal in an emergency situation. These mechanisms allow the passengers to move along their path, deviate from the obstructions (interact with the environment and the other passengers) and still head in the correct direction toward their goal, the safety exits [30]. The algorithms and decision-making process when passengers follow the steering mode have been summarised in Figure 4, and the calculation process can be found in the technical reference of Pathfinder [31].…”

Section: Model Basismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Since the passengers can only travel on the navigation mesh, this technique prevents the overhead of any solid object representation from affecting the simulation. passengers) and still head in the correct direction toward their goal, the safety exits [30]. The algorithms and decision-making process when passengers follow the steering mode have been summarised in Figure 4, and the calculation process can be found in the technical reference of Pathfinder [31].…”

Section: Model Basismentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of Evacuation Walkway Design Parameters on Passenger Evacuation Time along Elevated Rail Transit Lines Using a Multi-Agent Simulation

et al. 2019

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Passenger evacuation on elevated railway lines has always been an important issue for elevated rail transit safety management, because it is challenging to evacuate passengers efficiently in the event of man-made calamities and natural disasters. Therefore, an evacuation walkway has been designed as a primary solution to assist passenger evacuation during an emergency on elevated rail transit lines. However, investigations on how evacuation walkway designs influence passenger evacuation time are still limited. This study established two evacuation scenarios of interval evacuation on elevated rail transit lines and put forward a new evacuation time measurement method, based on the concept of ‘evacuation time for passengers leaving the evacuation walkway risk zone’. Then, the evacuation time for 90 combinations of entrance widths and walkway widths was simulated by a multi-agent evacuation simulator, Pathfinder, considering 1032 passengers being evacuated both unidirectionally and bidirectionally. The results show that the entrance width and walkway width have a combined effect on passenger evacuation time. An increase in the walkway width from 0.7 m to 1.5 m may potentially reduce the evacuation time by 54.5% in unidirectional evacuation, and 35.2% in bidirectional evacuation. An increase in the entrance width results in a noticeable evacuation time fluctuation when the walkway width is 0.7 and 0.8 m for both evacuation scenarios, while in a bidirectional evacuation, a noticeable fluctuation also can be observed when the walkway width is within the range of 1.4–1.5 m. According to the study, a potentially good design parameter combination for a newly built evacuation walkway is 1.3 m and 1.4 m for the walkway width and entrance width, respectively. The findings from this study may provide a useful reference in the optimization of the design of evacuation facilities and improvement of passenger evacuation safety in rail transit systems.

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New Wayfinding Techniques in Pathfinder and Supporting Research

Cited by 9 publications

References 1 publication

Mesoscopic evacuation model based on adaptive grids partitioning

Mesoscopic evacuation model based on adaptive grids partitioning

Multifactor Variance Assessment for Determining the Number of Repeat Simulation Runs in Evacuation Modelling

Influence of Evacuation Walkway Design Parameters on Passenger Evacuation Time along Elevated Rail Transit Lines Using a Multi-Agent Simulation

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