We study how we can automatically create a data structure that represents the walkable surfaces in virtual environments, and how it can be updated dynamically and efficiently when it changes. We refer to this structure as a navigation mesh. This mesh enables efficient crowd simulation, which is our next topic of research. We study and develop a crowd simulation framework and its components, which ranges from global (AI) planning to local animation. We create models for realistic crowd behaviors, which includes studying how (groups of) people move and avoid collisions in such environments, based on agent profiles and semantics (such as terrain annotations).
Our crowd simulation research and development has appeared at many places. On this page, we list our media appearances.
Our crowd simulation research has been mentioned in the following articles or media.
How does a crowd of (tens of) thousands of people react when something unexpected appears? — www.ad.nl
The co-founders of uCrowds, Eric de Wilde and Roland Geraerts, have demonstrated the crowd simulation software at CES 2018 in the vibrant city of Las Vegas. CES is the biggest consumer electronics show in the world with 180K visitors. They occupied a booth of the Holland startup pavilion, together with 53 selected Dutch startups.
uCrowds offers a software engine for simulating crowds in big infrastructures, events or computer games. With that proposal, they have attracted many interested (potential) customers. In addition, the media featured uCrowds, including the Dutch new paper AD (picture) and the website De ingenieur.
Panic in the crowd. What are you doing in an emergency situation? — www.dekennisvannu.nl
The Dutch TV show, De Kennis van Nu (Today's knowledge) has made an epside around the theme Panic in the crowd. It was broadcast on November 9, 2017.
We show how a 3D model is made of the show host, and how we can drive her motions in our motion capture lab. We have put her in an evacuation scenario that takes place in Utrecht. These simulations can be used to be better prepared for emergency situations that may happen during such events.
The episode can be watched on the show's site. More information is provided here.
We conducted experiments related to the movements of crowds on Festival deBeschaving in Utrecht. Some students measured the number of people that crossed some virtual lines in the environment. We also made a first experimental setup in which we measured where and when people moved, and put this information live into a simulation.
We were involved in the preparations of the Grand Départ of the Tour de France (July 2015).
We were involved in the preparations of the Grand Départ of the Tour de France (July 2015).
Welcome on my home page on crowd simulation and motion planning
Dr. Roland Geraerts | Associate Professor | Program Director Bachelor Computer Science | Information and Computing Sciences | Utrecht University | Princetonplein 5, room 4.08 | 3508 TB Utrecht | r.j.geraerts@uu.nl | www.uu.nl/staff/RJGeraerts
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