Airport Research Center

Together with Heiko Roßnagel and Jan Zibuschka from Fraunhofer IAO, Olaf Junker from Airport Research Center wrote a paper about agent-based simulation for evaluation of a mobile emergency management system.

Jan Zibuschka will present the paper at 16th Americas Conference on Information Systems, August 12-15 in Lima, Peru.

Title:
Roßnagel, H., Zibuschka, J. and Junker, O. (2010), Agent-Based Simulation for Evaluation of a Mobile Emergency Management System.

Abstract:
Large public events such as sporting events, concerts, fairs and street festivals are quite common in metropolitan areas. Because of the high frequency of such events and the increasing number of involved parties, the stakeholders responsible for the organization and execution have to cope with increasing complexity and shortening time frames for planning and preparation. Especially in public transportation, unplanned incidents that occur during these events can have devastating effects because of the high concentration of passengers. Emergency management systems that utilize mobile communication infrastructures can provide prompt information delivery to save human lives. In this contribution we propose a system design for mobile emergency management. We also present an evaluating approach for this system design using a multi-agent based simulation, based on empirical data for a particular large event as well as for normal rush hour traffic. We also consider characteristics of the mobile communication infrastructure.

Please find the paper here

Find more information at www.amcis2010.org

Within the scope of the master program Civil Engineering, Michael Laubrock, Managing Partner at the Airport Research Center GmbH, will lecture at Muenster University of Applied Sciences.
The lecture's topic is "CAST - simulationbased optimization of airport processes and planning" and is hold on May 6 and May 20, 2010.

Mr. Laubrock will talk about the applications CAST Vehicle and CAST Terminal.

The main focus lies on:

• process optimization airport
• vehicle simulation and ground handling simulation
• passenger simulation/ pedestrian simulation
• pedestrian flow management
• queueing theory
• logistic on airports  
• simulation software in general

Olaf Junker from Airport Research Center is giving a speech at the ISCRAM (Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management) 2010 at Crown Plaza Hotel, Seattle WA , May 2-5.

Title:
Evaluation of a Mobile Emergency Management System – A Simulation Approach
Heiko Roßnagel, Olaf Junker

Abstract:
Large public events such as sporting events, concerts, fairs and street festivals are quite common in metropolitan areas. Because of the high frequency of such events and the increasing number of involved parties, those being responsible for the organization and execution have to cope with increasing complexity and shortening time frames for planning and preperation. Because of the high concentration of passengers, unplanned incidents that occur during these public events can have devastating effects and can lead to crises and disasters. Emergency management systems that utilize mobile communication infrastructures can provide prompt information delivery to save human lives. In this paper we propose a system design for mobile emergency management and outline our approach of evaluating this system design using multi-agent based simulation. To make our simulation of passenger movements as realistic as possible we gathered empirical data for a large event as well as for normal rush hour traffic.

Find more information at: www.iscram.org

After several years of planning and construction we compliment Berlin Brandenburg International Airport BBI on the topping-out ceremony for the Central Terminal Building.

As one of the planning partners we are happy to attend this event on May 7th, 2010.

The Airport Research Center GmbH (ARC) exhibits at this year's Passenger Terminal EXPO in Brussels, Belgium, 23-25 March 2010.

ARC will show the latest developments of the airport simulation CAST. Besides the established module CAST Terminal (Simulation of passenger terminals) the modules CAST Vehicle and CAST Aircraft complete the software package to become a total airport simulation.

We are looking forward to meeting you in Brussels at our booth no. 3070.

Find more information at: www.passengerterminal-expo.com

Together with Ralph Majer from Vitracom AG, Olaf Junker from Airport Research Center participates and presents at the Fifth International Conference on Pedestrian and Evacuation Dynamics (PED 2010), March 8-10, 2010 at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, MD, USA. He gives a presentation about real-time video analysis of pedestrians to support agent simulation of people behavior.

Presentation title:
Real-time video analysis of pedestrians to support agent simulation of people behavior
Olaf Junker, Verena Strauss, Ralph Majer, and Norbert Link

Abstract:
Online simulation coupled with real-time measurements of pedestrians in public buildings is a novel application which can be used to increase the security and safety of pedestrians within those buildings. To receive realistic forecasts it is necessary to update the simulation constantly against reality. The real-time video analysis can thereby support the simulation with the necessary data. This proposed system is largely supported by the state observer of the control theory. Within a laboratory one room model pedestrian behavior is monitored and analyzed by video cameras. Evolving data is subsequently provided for the simulation where flow rates are additionally recorded. Thus, two resulting passenger flow rates are available which can be compared by the simulation controller. The actuators, receiving information from the controller, can afterwards trigger an appropriate action. Two different actuators have been realized in the model in order to bring the simulation passenger flow closer to the observed passenger rates: the velocity controller adjusts the walking speed of the passengers and the flow generator actuator has the ability to match the passenger generation rate.
Results show that the simulation passenger flow curve converges to the real passenger flow. As expected, the simulation curve follows the real passenger rate with a certain delay. Nevertheless, the simulation model appears to reflect the behavior of the persons in an appropriate way. Further investigations will show which additional instruments can be used to refine the simulation actor behavior.

Find more information at: www.bfrl.nist.gov/info/PED2010