Lévy Flight and the Interpersonal Distance of a Pedestrian in a Crowd

Abstract

A simple self-experiment allows for the measurement of individual pedestrian movements, aiming to understand the deviations from intended directions seen in heterogeneous human crowds. The method involves pedestrian self-observations using the GPS sensor of a smartphone, providing a unique perspective on individual behavior within a crowd and offering a means to evaluate average pedestrian speed. The study is focused on individual mobility in the context of a heterogeneous crowd rather than the behavior of a crowd composed of similar types of people. With this study, an important contribution to the understanding of interpersonal distances in heterogeneous crowds is made.

Keywords

• Lévy flight
• crowd
• pedestrian movement
• interpersonal distance