Use of agent based simulation for traffic safety assessment

Abstract

This paper describes the development of an agent based Computational Building Simulation (CBS) tool, termed KRONOS that is being used to work on advanced research questions such as traffic safety assessment and user behaviour in buildings. The intention is to provide better support for dynamic space-time related research as well as investigations into static built environment modelling and simulations such as people motion studies. The authors (CSIR researchers) view CBS as a technical specialization of Building Product Models (BPM). The research findings, supported by a traffic safety case study and other precedent research, indicate that traffic safety assessment can not be predicted through vehicular traffic micro simulation models alone. It must be understood as a contextual product of both vehicles, drivers, pedestrians, animals and the environment. To study traffic safety requires both advanced static and dynamic capabilities. The research team created a modelling and simulation environment based on a BPM. Within this environment agents and props were placed to dynamically simulate and predict emergent behaviour. The data from this case study and other precedent case studies used in KRONOS indicated that the agent based micro modelling approach is feasible