
Can pedestrian simulation tools really model humans accurately?
Share
Pedestrian simulation software plays a big part in making our lives easier. As our cities and transport networks became ever more complex, and our festivals, concerts and sporting events got bigger, keeping us moving freely and safely became one of the biggest challenges facing planners. Now, of course, managing proximity and how we move adds another level of complexity.
Understanding and predicting the pedestrian movement and the resulting crowd flows is a critical part of the design, planning and day-to-day operations of any infrastructure or event, and pedestrian simulation software like Oasys MassMotion provides the tools planners need. The recent addition of proximity modelling tools is helping to manage and phase the safe reopening of facilities after lockdowns.
So how does pedestrian simulation work and how realistic can its predictions be? We asked Yogin Doolab, a consultant on the Oasys MassMotion team to give us an idea of how pedestrian modelling works.
Yogin explained that the roots of understanding pedestrian dynamics go back decades, to work by architects understanding crowds moving as fluids, to studies of evacuation and safety. A quantum leap in our understanding was the idea of Level of Service (LOS), first conceived by John Fruin in the 1960s. Fruin had realised that the best measure of the effectiveness of a potential route was not how fast individuals travelled but how many passed a given point per minute: the relationship between density and speed isn't a simple linear one and Fruin's studies showed us how this happens (there is actually a sweet point at which greater density doesn't actually slow the crowd down, but add just a few more people and there will soon be congestion!). Using the Level of Service (LOS) concept, which can be thought of as a measure of how big a group can get before movement is restricted, we can start to predict how individual pedestrians will move in a crowd.
Being able to translate this learning into a scientific understanding of movement was the next key step to modelling crowds accurately. In the 1990s, a combination of additional research and advances in computing power made this feasible. Dirk Helbing and Peter Molnar introduced the social forces model in 1995. They developed a system that represented the multiple interactions between individuals, objects, etc. They called these interactions social forces and showed how they guided the behaviour of an individual when moving in and amongst other people.
Since then, there have been many research studies conducted to determine with greater precision how people behave and choose the path they will take to get to their destination, be it getting through a ticket barrier or reaching the burger bar at a concert.
A valid and accurate pedestrian modelling technique should be able to model most, if not all aspects of pedestrian movement. For example, the software should be able to simulate how pedestrians enter/exit a given space, what happens when they meet people coming the other way around a corner, and how they react to the dynamically changing crowd density around them. It should reveal where crossflows and counter-flows might give rise to problems, and it should also be able to model random sporadic human behaviour as well.
Not surprisingly, humans being what they are, attempts to refine an existing model or introduce a new one always seems to leave a gap. So, the honest answer to Can pedestrian simulation software model human behaviour 100% accurately? is that it cannot - but it is getting pretty close and engineers and planners around the world do have confidence in the insights it offers. For example, at Beijing's new jewel-in-the-crown Daxing airport, for example, MassMotion showed how simply adding an extra escalator to the design would reduce bottlenecks at the main entrance.
Agent-based simulation tools such as Oasys MassMotion use the social forces model in combination with LOS and then also add additional data provided by the user to replicate human behaviour to the best of its ability. Additional data might be transport timetables or concert and interval times to predict peaks and troughs in footfall traffic or actual observations taken in the field to give a better understanding of how people are likely to approach a building.
With added features like action sets (sequences such as passing ticket desks, automated barriers or security) , agent profiles (age, mobility, cultural preference to walk on one side of the road, etc) and MassMotion's software development kit (SDK) to enable users to add new project-specific features, a user is able to customize their simulation. In addition, the MassMotion development team currently has an active research program on how to incorporate real-time data into the software to increase accuracy and enable managers to react to emerging situations like congestion caused by a faulty escalator.
With technology advances and the rapid development of artificial intelligence and machine learning, it shouldn't be long until pedestrian modelling tools will indeed be able to predict and analyse any kind of human behaviour, and give us fast answers on how to avoid discomfort, danger and congestion.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
09/04/2026
Staines-upon-Thames, UK, 09, April, 2026 - Yospace, the trusted leader in Dynam...
09/04/2026
just:play pro 2026 and just:live pro 2026 Sneak Preview News for NAB 2026
More Details:At NAB 2026, ToolsOnAir will showcase just:play pro 2026 and just:live p...
09/04/2026
just:in mac pro 2026 - The Next Level of Professional Recording on macOS at NAB ...
09/04/2026
Zixi will demonstrate IP-based live video workflow solutions at NAB Show 2026 (Booth W2057).
The industry is moving quickly toward IP-based distribution as br...
09/04/2026
Global women's elite sports revenues are expected to reach at least $3 billi...
09/04/2026
Monitor engineer Gavin Tempany mixed Kylie Minogue s Tension Tour on a Solid Sta...
09/04/2026
KOKUSAI DENKI Electric America will exhibit at NAB Show 2026 (Booth C5507), debu...
09/04/2026
With the 2025-26 NBA regular season concluded and the playoffs beginning next we...
09/04/2026
Telestream and Mimir have announced an integration connecting Telestream's V...
09/04/2026
Bitmovin has expanded its Live Encoding and Observability solutions to provide r...
09/04/2026
The Nashville Predators and Scripps Sports have announced a multi-year media rights agreement covering local preseason, regular season, and first-round playoff ...
09/04/2026
Advanced Systems Group, LLC has announced a partnership with Beam Dynamics to offer the Beam Asset and License Intelligence Platform to its clients. The platfor...
09/04/2026
Lawo has unveiled Edge One, a combined video and audio stagebox for broadcast and Pro AV workflows. The device will be on display at NAB Show (Booth C2108, Apri...
09/04/2026
The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) will host the SMPTE ST 2110 IP Media Roadshow on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, at the Las Vegas Conven...
09/04/2026
The Atlanta Braves have completed upgrades to video displays in and around Truist Park ahead of the 2026 MLB season. The upgrades include the Delta Out-of-Town ...
09/04/2026
The University of Southern California has contracted Daktronics (NASDAQ: DAKT) of Brookings, South Dakota, to manufacture and install 22 LED displays across fou...
09/04/2026
Backlight, the media technology company behind Iconik and Wildmoka, will showcase its Creative Operations Platform at NAB Show 2026 (Booth N2829, April 19-22). ...
09/04/2026
MotoAmerica and V10 Entertainment have announced a partnership to broadcast MotoAmerica Superbike racing on VICE TV for the 2026 season. Coverage begins live on...
09/04/2026
Proton Camera Innovations has announced the appointment of Tod Musgrave as US Sa...
09/04/2026
Designed specifically for live sports broadcasting, new platform features IP-nat...
09/04/2026
Blending 1990s DNA, modern motion theory, and a distinctly colorful brand identi...
09/04/2026
Technical capability is essential, but long-term success often depends on how we...
09/04/2026
15 feature films, including fiction and documentaries, along with six short film...
09/04/2026
Spotify has always been about putting listeners in the driver's seat. Today, people don't just want more ways to spend their time; they want that time t...
09/04/2026
Our Chief Public Affairs Officer Dustee Jenkins shares how we're building a more positive experience for families on Spotify.
As Spotify's Chief Public...
09/04/2026
Festival season is upon us. From sun-soaked weekends out west to iconic stages in Chicago and New York, fans are getting ready to see their favorite artists liv...
09/04/2026
O Spotify sempre teve como foco colocar os ouvintes no controle. Hoje, as pessoas n o querem apenas mais formas de passar o tempo - elas querem que esse tempo s...
09/04/2026
Read the original note in English here.
Nossa Chief Public Affairs Officer, Dustee Jenkins, compartilha como estamos construindo uma experi ncia mais positiva ...
09/04/2026
New synth focuses on sci-fi scoring
Following their formation and debut releases in December 2025, Smokestack Sounds - the brainchild of composer and produc...
09/04/2026
Latest version set for May 2026 launch
Reason Studios have revealed that the latest version of their DAW software will be launching in May 2026. Currently a...
09/04/2026
New EQ aimed at mix-bus & mastering duties
Shy Audio's first two releases focused on the past, delivering recreations of the budget mixers that were com...
09/04/2026
Based on John Galsworthy's novels known collectively as The Forsyte Saga a...
09/04/2026
The Forsytes has been renewed for a third season before the period drama has even premiered on PBS Masterpiece.
The adaptation of John Galsworthy's novel, ...
09/04/2026
IThe BBC has commissioned new drama The Witch Farm, starring Gabrielle Creevy (T...
09/04/2026
The next big thing To help broadcasters fully embrace dynamic hybrid workflows, Calrec will make a major announcement that unlocks even more freedom for broadca...
09/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/04/2026
Purpose Built Monitoring From Live Production to Master Control to OTT, Across On Prem and Cloud Environments
At the 2026 NAB Show (April 19-22, Las Vegas Con...
09/04/2026
Purpose Built Monitoring From Live Production to Master Control to OTT, Across On Prem and Cloud Environments
At the 2026 NAB Show (April 19-22, Las Vegas Con...
09/04/2026
New advances meet surge in demand for broadcast-grade IP migration as C-band spectrum auctions approach
LTN announces major enhancements to its purpose-built g...
09/04/2026
Hitomi Broadcast has expanded its sales team with the addition of Nicola Milburn as Technical Sales Manager. In this role, Nicola will work with customers and p...
09/04/2026
Revolutionary combined solution brings sub-second latency, resilient delivery, and workflow orchestration to global broadcasters and digital platforms
Layercak...
09/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...