Advanced Modeling versus Experiment in Multimodal and Automated Transport Systems

Dear Colleagues,

Modeling and simulation are among the most important and effective methods for investigating complex phenomena related to pedestrian dynamics. This Special Issue aims to emphasize the role of intertwined experimental and numerical investigations on pedestrian dynamics as a pathway for the sustainable development of methods for the safety of the crowd.

Trustworthy simulations based on empirically validated models enable architects and event managers to perform effective analyses of planned concepts and evaluate different design alternatives while avoiding risks and costs associated with extensive field experimentation. This is even more crucial when experiments under laboratory conditions cannot be performed for cost or ethical reasons.

Experimental studies and numerical simulations have always been inherently complementary and never adversarial. On one hand, experimental verification is essential to confirm model validity, but its role extends beyond that. For example, the discovery of new rules that govern the dynamics of a crowd inspires new modeling ideas and encourages more numerical investigation. On the other hand, simulations of complex scenarios can give rise to interesting observations and open the door to new insights, which in turn can serve as catalysts for new experimental studies. Take as an example the faster-is-slower effect—a phenomenon that was exclusively known and intensively investigated in the realm of numerical simulations, until it was demonstrated through experiments under laboratory conditions.

Setting aside the epistemological significance of experiments, a question nevertheless remains open: what is the exact contribution of experiments and field observations, relative to only studying them in situ? How can the statistical relevance of experimental data be enhanced in a cost-effective way? What are the available means and tools to intertwine experimental and numerical studies of pedestrian dynamics?

This Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive overview of current ideas and findings in experiments and modeling for pedestrian dynamics. Specifically, the issue aims to: (i) present the current state-of-the-art about pedestrian dynamics with regards to the design of experiments, field observations, mathematical modeling; and (ii) identify potential research directions and technologies that will drive innovations in the field of pedestrian dynamics.

Additionally, this Special Issue also welcomes submissions employing new and emerging technologies and approaches such as virtual and augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and agent-based modeling involving sociological elements.

This Special Issue invites original and innovative research papers with critical perspectives for current and new applied approaches, and encourages works investigating new statistical methods to manually or automatically assess the goodness of models. The papers collected in this Special Issue will cover these topics from diverse multi- and cross-disciplinary perspectives, including theory, numerical methods, and experimental studies.

We invite contributions from physics, civil engineering, sociology, and computer science addressing the relationship between experiment and numerical simulation.

Dr. Mohcine Chraibi
Prof. Dr. Jun Zhang
Prof. Dr. Jian Ma
Prof. Dr. Antoine Tordeux
Guest Editors

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