Simulating Pedestrian Dynamics in Corners and Bends: A Floor Field Approach

Computer simulation for the study of pedestrian dynamics is an active and lively area in which contributions from different disciplines still produce advancements on the state of the art. Discrete modelling of pedestrian dynamics represents a more computationally efficient approach than the continuous one, despite the potential loss of precision in the reproduced trajectories or modelling artefacts. To overcome these issues and reducing the intrinsic effects of employing a discrete environment, several works have been proposed focusing on distinct objectives within this framework. This paper proposes a general approach to reproduce smooth and rounded trajectories of pedestrians in presence of bends and corners, by means of a so-called angular floor field. The proposed algorithm works with arbitrary settings and it is tested on benchmark situations to evaluate its effects from both a quantitative and qualitative perspective.