Crowd Simulation

Research into the methods and techniques used in simulating crowds has developed extensively within the last few years, particularly in the areas of video games and film. Despite recent impressive results when simulating and rendering thousands of individuals, many challenges still exist in this area.

The comparison of simulation with reality, the realistic appearance of virtual humans and their behavior, group structure and their motion, and collision avoidance are just some examples of these challenges. For most of the applications of crowds, it is now a requirement to have real-time simulations – which is an additional challenge, particularly when crowds are very large.

Crowd Simulation analyses these challenges in depth and suggests many possible solutions. Daniel Thalmann and Soraia Musse share their experiences and expertise in the application of:

·         Population modeling

·         Virtual human animation

·         Behavioral models for crowds

·         The connection between virtual and real crowds

·         Path planning and navigation

·         Visual attention models

·         Geometric and populated semantic environments

·         Crowd rendering

The second edition presents techniques and methods developed since the authors first covered the simulation of crowds in 2007. Crowd Simulation includes in-depth discussions on the techniques of path planning, including a new hybrid approach between navigation graphs and potential-based methods. The importance of gaze attention – individuals appearing conscious of their environment and of others – is introduced, and a free-of-collision method for crowds is also discussed.

Mario A. Gutiérrez A. obtained a Ph.D. in Computer Science, with specialization in Virtual Reality from EPFL, Switzerland. He has co-authored several peer-reviewed international conference papers, scientific journal articles and books covering topics related to Computer Graphics, Virtual Reality and Human-Computer Interaction. He has served as assistant professor in Computer Graphics and Virtual Reality at Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico. In addition to his academic experience, Mario Gutierrez has worked for more than 10 years in the software and consumer electronics industries, focusing on research and development projects aimed at developing innovative computer peripheral devices and software for Virtual Reality and spatial computing applications. He is currently Sr. Software Engineer at Logitech Europe S.A., based in Lausanne, Switzerland. Dr. Frédéric Vexo is a computer scientist, accomplished entrepreneur, and respected authority inthe field of human-computer interaction. Born in 1974 in eastern France, his early fascination with computers sparked a lifelong passion for exploring their capabilities. He pursued a Ph.D. in computer science, immersing himself in the realms of physics and mathematics to create Virtual Worlds. As a senior researcher at the Swiss Federal Institute of Science in Lausanne, Switzerland, Dr Vexo led a talented team of graduate and Ph.D. students in pioneering research on virtual reality. Dr Vexo's expertise is widely recognised through his extensive publications, including co-authoring books and over 100 scientific papers. He is a sought-after speaker at international conferences, sharing his knowledge and shaping the discourse on human-computer interaction. Passionate about education, Dr Vexo has dedicated himself to nurturing the next generation of innovators. He has taught graduate and undergraduate students in the captivating field of Human Computer Interaction, serving as an invited professor and senior researcher at institutions such as Tec Monterrey in Toluca, Mexico, and Keio University in Yokohama, Japan. Today, Dr. Vexo leverages his extensive experience as an advisor and strategist, guiding companies through digital transformation and supporting disruptive startups. Prof. Daniel Thalmann is a renowned Swiss and Canadian computer scientist. He is currently an honorary professor at the EPFL in Switzerland and the executive director of R&D at MIRALab Sarl. He is co-editor-in-chief of Wiley's Journal of Computer Animation and Virtual Worlds (CAVW) and on the editorial boards of several other journals. Daniel Thalmann is programme chair and co-chair of CASA 2023 and CGI2023. After receiving his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Geneva in 1977, Daniel Thalmann began at the University of Montreal in Canada. He later became a professor at EPFL, Switzerland, where he founded the Virtual Reality Lab (VRlab). From 2009 to 2017, he was a visiting professor at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. Daniel Thalmann has served on numerous programme committees and as programme chair and co-chair of several conferences, including IEEE VR, ACM VRST, and ACM VRCAI. He and his students have published several seminal papers in virtual reality, computer graphics and animation. He is co-editor and co-author of many books including 'Crowd Simulation' and 'Stepping into Virtual Reality', published by Springer. Throughout his successful career, Professor Daniel Thalmann has received many awards, including an Honorary Doctorate from Paul Sabatier University in Toulouse, France in 2003, the Eurographics Distinguished Career Award in 2010, the Canadian Human Computer Communications Society Achievement Award in 2012, and the CGI Career Achievement Award in 2015. More can be found on Daniel Thalmann in Wikipedia.