Monitoring Pedestrian Spatio-Temporal Behaviour using Semi-Automated Shadowing

Abstract

Mobility and orientation behaviour research often requires the monitoring of pedestrian spatio-temporal behaviour. A number of different empirical methods have been developed to investigate specific aspects of pedestrian behaviour. However, each method has certain drawbacks, which aggravate the collection and analysis of relevant data. This chapter describes a new method which combines the advantages of simple observation and technological data collection. Pedestrian trajectories are collected by observing and annotating spatio-temporal tracks using a semi-automated shadowing tool. In this chapter, the authors describe the background and related work in pedestrian spatio-temporal behaviour research as well as most commonly applied methods and their respective advantages and drawbacks. The authors then present a shadowing approach with specific characteristics and implementation. Additionally, three case studies are described to illustrate potential fields of application. Finally, ongoing efforts to enhance the method through the use of additional sensors and features, as well as potential future developments, are described.