An investigation of pedestrian dynamics based on fluid mechanics dimensionless numbers

Abstract

The study of pedestrian dynamics, both individually and in groups, has been a highly active field for the last few decades. Dimensionless numbers in fluid dynamics are used to characterize flow patterns, identify the dominant forces, and predict results. Here, we argue that these dimensionless numbers can be also relevant to obtaining basic features of pedestrian dynamics. In this study, pedestrians moving freely and in an environment with other pedestrians are analyzed using dimensionless numbers. The development of a comfortable walking speed, the range of velocities that characterize walking and running forms of human gait, and the impact of pedestrian density on pedestrian speed are all investigated. Another important feature studied is the self-organization of a group of individuals, which is a vital concept in understanding crowd dynamics. Crowd dynamics and the interactions with other pedestrians are also investigated.