Developing Human Behavior Simulation Technology that Considers Pedestrians’ Physical Characteristics in Atypical Architectural Spaces

Abstract

Several developments have been made in the technology used to perform human behavior simulations in the context of designing atypical architectural spaces. This technology reminds architects to consider the safety and convenience of users in the design process and to produce more optimized designs. However, human behavior simulation technology that targets existing atypical architectural spaces lacks any consideration of pedestrians’ characteristics. In particular, since curved walls, floors, and stairs frequently appear in atypical spaces, it is necessary to consider the physical characteristics of pedestrians, including disabled people, the elderly, and pregnant women, to simulate more realistic human behavior. This study aims to develop a simulation technology that takes into consideration the physical characteristics of pedestrians to improve the performance of human behavior simulations in atypical architectural spaces. The result of this study is a human behavior simulation technology that reflects the walking characteristics of pedestrians with specific physical characteristics. In this study, ActoViz, a human behavior simulation technology previously used in real time as part of the design process of atypical architectural spaces, was enhanced with a suggested agent technology. The agents were made to perform actions that not only corresponded to atypical physical characteristics but also reflected their individual physical characteristics. In addition, through agents that reproduce various walking characteristics, architects may discover previously overlooked spatial characteristics, making it possible to create more human-centered architectural designs.