Tawaf crowd simulation using social force model

Abstract

This paper presents a crowd simulation system which simulates the movement of pilgrims in performing one of Hajj rituals, which is Tawaf. Tawaf is a unique case study due to its capacity and various set of pilgrims. Furthermore, the density of the crowd is extremely high. Tawaf also consist a certain set of rules and regulations that must be followed by the pilgrims. Social Force Model had been chosen to give each agent in the simulation a specific behavior to be followed. The algorithm also specifies how the agents interact with each other to generate collision free movements. To make the simulations as close as possible to real world scenarios, each agent varies in term of age, gender and behavior. The subjective evaluation of the system revealed that it can be used in pilgrim training before performing the actual Tawaf.