A simulation of urban incidents involving pedestrians and vehicles based on Weighted A*

Abstract

This document presents a comprehensive simulation framework designed to model urban incidents involving pedestrians and vehicles. Using a multiagent systems approach, two types of agents (pedestrians and vehicles) are introduced within a 2D grid based urban environment. The environment encodes streets, sidewalks, buildings, zebra crossings, and obstacles such as potholes and infrastructure elements. Each agent employs a weighted A* algorithm for pathfinding, allowing for variation in decision making behavior such as reckless movement or strict rule-following. The model aims to simulate interactions, assess risk of collisions, and evaluate efficiency under varying environmental and behavioral conditions. Experimental results explore how factors like obstacle density, presence of traffic control mechanisms, and behavioral deviations affect safety and travel efficiency.