Effect of Rhythm on Pedestrian Flow

We have calculated a fundamental diagram of pedestrians by dividing the velocity term into two parts, length of stride and pace of walking (number of steps per unit time). In spite of the simplicity of the calculation, our fundamental diagram reproduces that of traffic and pedestrian dynamics models in special cases. Theoretical analysis on pace indicates that rhythm which is slower than normal walking pace in free-flow situation increases flow if the fundamental diagram of flow is convex downward in high-density regime. In order to verify this result, we have performed the experiment by real pedestrians and observed improvement of pedestrian flow in congested situation by slow rhythm. Since slow rhythm achieves large pedestrian flow without dangerous haste, it may be a safety solution to attain smooth movement of pedestrians in congested situation.