Crowds2D - a new, robust crowd dynamics simulation model

The Norwegian Armed Forces have over the last few years given priority to the procurement of less-lethal weapons (LLW) for use in certain scenarios. The purpose of FFI project 1255 has therefore been to support the armed forces in choosing the right means for different tactical scenarios and in a rapidly evolving marked. One class of scenarios where LLW can be a relevant tool involves human crowds. Choosing the right tool in such a scenario requires insight into the behaviour of human crowds. The collective behaviour of human crowds is of interest not only to the armed forces, but also in civil applications such as pedestrian traffic studies, security planning of events involving large crowds, and police crowd management during political demonstrations and riots. The latter scenario is also relevant for the armed forces in operations abroad where peace-keeping and lawenforcement is an important part of the assigned task. In situations where law-enforces confront a crowd which include hostile or even violent individuals, one must decide whether or not to utilize LLW to control the crowd. The important question then is what can be achieved in a given scenario in terms of crowd management depending on whether LLWs are applied or not. This report describes a new, robust crowd dynamics simulation model capable of simulating a wide range human crowd behaviour. It is a technical report and documents the important first steps towards a potentially useful tool in the analysis of LLW-related operations. This includes not only normal pedestrian traffic, but also scenarios such as evacuation or riots which might involve running agents. The model relies on a number of model parameters. Default values of these parameters have been determined on the basis of fundamental properties of the human body, semi-analytical models of fundamental crowd behaviour, and simplified crowd test simulations. The new model not only captures crowd movement well, it also provide information on force levels which in turn can be used to assess the risk of injuries and deaths.