Compare physical distancing constraints in Mobility Simulation

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In InfraWorks, you can create animated scenarios

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to visualize and identify the effects of implementing different physical distancing measures in public buildings.

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Using a typical supermarket setup, this example compares simulations that have 3 different sets of parameters and conditions:

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Normal, or “pre-pandemic”, without mobility restrictions

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With physical distancing parameters in place

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With physical distancing in place, plus infrastructure changes to the model, including unidirectional flow

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Specifically, this Mobility Simulation example focuses on the grocery store aisles, perimeter, and checkout area.

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The floorplan has been defined and the model has been configured with demand zones

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within the aisles that slow shoppers down to simulate people selecting items from shelves.

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Looking at the settings for the first scenario with no physical restrictions, from the menu, expand Parameters and select People.

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In the Person Type dialog, there are two rows configured, with Person A colored yellow, and Person B colored red.

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Select the Size tab, and you see that the Space around each is set to 0.10 meters.

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Additionally, on the Motion tab, the Maximum Speed for Person A is set to 0.70 miles per hour,

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and for Person B, it is set to 1.30, to more accurately represent different speeds for different shoppers.

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Click Cancel to close the dialog.

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Click Play to start the simulation and view shoppers entering the store,

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walking around to select items to purchase, stopping at the checkout, and then leaving.

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This animation is what you would normally expect to see in a supermarket.

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In the second simulation, physical distancing parameters are added to the same model.

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Again, from the toolbar, expand Parameters and select People.

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Click the Size tab, where the Space is increased to 2.00 meters,

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meaning that as much as possible, simulated shoppers will remain 2 meters apart.

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Click OK, and then click Play.

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As the simulation runs, you see that shoppers generally maintain proper spacing,

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but as more people enter the store, bottlenecks begin to occur.

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There is not enough space, so the network is basically failing.

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To minimize these proximity issues, for the third scenario,

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model infrastructure changes are added to the distancing parameters previously set.

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The simulation looks at the same volume of people over the same amount of time.

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However, a low-level barrier has been added to divide the main center aisle into two separate lanes,

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and a unidirectional flow pattern has been configured for the store.

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To view the results of these changes, reorient the model and click Play.

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Now, as shoppers arrive and adhere to the unidirectional traffic flow, the areas where people come together are greatly reduced.

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As you have seen, creating and viewing different scenarios in InfraWorks Mobility Simulation

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allows you to preview and compare the effects of physical distancing measures and infrastructure changes,

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to help you make better decisions about real-world implementation.