Comparison of Various Methods for the Calculation of the Distance Potential Field

Summary The distance from a given position toward one or more destinations, exits, and way points is an important input variable in most models of pedestrian dynamics. Except for special cases without obstacles in a concave scenario—i.e. each position is visible from any other—the calculation of these distances is a non-trivial task. This is not a big problem as long as the model only demands the distances to be stored in a Static Floor Field (or Potential Field), which never changes throughout the whole simulation. Then a pre-calculation once before the simulation starts is sufficient. But if one wants to allow changes of the geometry during a simulation run—imagine doors or the blocking of a corridor due to some hazard—in the Distance Potential Field, calculation time matters strongly. We give an overview over existing and new exact and approximate methods to calculate a potential field, analytical investigations for their exactness, and tests of their computation speed. The advantages and drawbacks of the methods are discussed.