Fundamental diagram and validation of crowd models

Abstract

In recent years, several approaches for crowd modeling have been proposed. However, so far not much attention has been paid to their quantitative validation. The fundamental diagram , i.e. the density-dependence of the flow or velocity, is probably the most important relation as it connects the basic parameter to describe the dynamic of crowds. But specifications in different handbooks as well as experimental measurements for the fundamental diagram differ considerably. We give a review of the experimental data base and the causes for the discrepancies discussed in the literature. Up to now it was neglected that the way of measurement can cause variations between the results of different studies. To shed some light on this problem we studied by means of experimental trajectories of the single file movement how different measurement methods influence the resulting fundamental diagram. © 2008 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.