A Two-Dimensional Optimal Velocity Model for Unidirectional Pedestrian Flow Based on Pedestrian's Visual Hindrance Field

Modeling and simulation of pedestrian movement is a feasible and effective way to evaluate evacuation facilities and risk. Inspired by the visual field and movement characteristic of pedestrians, we developed a 2-D continuous model that integrates a self-slowing, local direction-changing mechanism, and visual hindrance information. The model allows for the movement in continuous space and time, only controlled by simple kinematic equations and visual hindrance distribution. In order to get the parameters of the kinematic equations, we conducted controlled experiments, collected empirical data, and obtained velocity-changing and direction-changing relations. We then validate the model by simulating three experimental scenarios, i.e., passage, bottleneck, and classroom evacuation. It is found that some typical phenomena such as the stop-and-go waves in the passage and lane formation in the bottleneck can be reproduced. The obtained fundamental diagram and specific flow agree with classic conclusions and experimental measures very well. It is hoped that the idea of this study may be helpful in promoting the modeling and simulation study of pedestrian flow.

I. Introduction

Pedestrian dynamics has attracted increasing attention among researchers, because it can be an important reference when engineers design evacuation facilities and analyze pedestrian risk. In order to investigate the movement behaviors of pedestrians, two main methods have been adopted by a majority of scholars, i.e., experiment and modeling.