EkuSim: Realistic Evacuation Simulation with a fast Hierarchical Algorithm

摘要

The evacuation simulation tool EkuSim based on a hierarchical path finding algorithm is presented. The tile-based algorithm allows pre-processing of the simulation model to increase the speed of the simulation. It can also be used for parallel computation. For evacuation scenarios, entities follow certain rules to describe a realistic panic behavior. The entities try to find emergency exits by avoiding drawbacks like seats or walls. Using a Graphical User Interface (GUI), an evacuation scenario can easily be built and the simulated results displayed. As example of an application is the illustration of evacuation scenarios in an aircraft using realistic layouts The tile-based hierarchical pathfinding algorithm can result in increased processing speed compared to the well-established algorithms, depending on the simulation problem. Simulating the evacuation of an aircraft shows that a uniform spatial distribution failing of emergency doors has only a small influence on evacuation time.