![]() ![]() However, they are not yet integrated with BIM, which means they cannot simply be plugged into the BIM workflow to perform the simulation. All of these are highly specialized applications offering dedicated solutions for specific building types such as airports (Figure 2), train stations, stadiums, concert venues, etc. In addition to these applications, I also discovered other pedestrian simulation tools I was not previously aware of including Pedestrian Dynamics, AnyLogic, SimWalk, and PTV Viswalk. We are also starting to see pedestrian simulation in an infrastructure design tool like InfraWorks, which added a “mobility simulation” capability in its 2017 release to analyze not just the movement of vehicles in a proposed road design but also pedestrians, bikes, taxis, buses, and other modes of transportation (see AECbytes Newsletter #80). ![]() SimTread has been recently been expanded by its Japanese developer to simulate whole city evacuations during natural disasters like tsunamis and earthquakes, as I reported in my 2017 article, Flood Forecasting Technology. Another tool is SimTread, a plug-in to Vectorworks for analyzing pedestrian traffic flow. In addition to LEGION, one of the most well-known pedestrian simulation tools in AEC that I am aware of is MassMotion from Oasys, an update on which was provided in AECbytes Newsletter #76. ![]() Given the growing importance of the need to design buildings to better address the mobility needs of the people who use it, the use of pedestrian simulation software is becoming critical. 3D simulation of egress from a stadium in LEGION. In recent years, we sadly also have to design buildings to improve egress in the event of a bomb threat, mass shooting, or terrorist attack, and not just for an emergency like a fire or an earthquake.įigure 1. In the same way, simulating pedestrians can help building designers streamline foot traffic, avoid congestion, control crowds, and improve evacuations in the event of an emergency, especially in large and heavily trafficked public buildings such as airports, train stations, stadiums, and concert halls where people congregate (Figure 1). Thus, we need crash simulations to better determine how to design automobiles to minimize injuries and casualties, earthquake simulations to better design our structures to withstand them and minimize damage, traffic simulations to improve traffic flow, weather simulations to improve forecasting, energy simulations to design more sustainable and comfortable buildings, and so on. In fact, this is true for most events that we need to understand better to determine how to design in response to them. The need for pedestrian simulation software is a no-brainer. Let’s start by looking at the field of pedestrian simulation software in general and then at LEGION in particular, including the science behind it. Not only did I learn more about LEGION, how it is currently being used, and the plans for its future development, I was also able to get a better understanding of the technology of pedestrian simulation by researching it from a broader perspective and delving deeper into how it is implemented. How, then, does pedestrian simulation actually work? How can acts such as walking, or even driving, by human beings, be predicted? I was motivated to delve deeper into this topic after attending a presentation on LEGION at the YII 2018 conference by the founder and head of the company, Douglas Connor. I find the concept of pedestrian simulation extremely fascinating, because unlike other simulations such as structure or energy that are grounded in scientific properties and natural laws-for example, the rate of flow of an inanimate object in a specific context, as in computational fluid dynamics (CFD), can be calculated with exact precision-pedestrian simulation is dealing with human beings who have a mind of their own and are unpredictable. One of the key acquisitions that Bentley announced at its recent Year in Infrastructure (YII) 2018 Conference was LEGION for pedestrian simulation. ![]()
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