PeopleFlow: a reproducible geometry-aware multi-agent framework for evacuation safety evaluation across diversified building environments
TL;DR
PeopleFlow is introduced, a geometry-aware multi-agent framework that automatically converts architectural floor plans into simulation environments and applies force-driven pedestrian dynamics with congestion-aware routing, giving architects, safety engineers, and digital-twin practitioners a systematic basis for identifying and prioritizing safer design alternatives.
Abstract
Evaluating evacuation performance across building types requires methods that capture how spatial layout, pedestrian behavior, and operational disruptions interact under stress. Static compliance checks do not address this need, and most existing simulation tools require manual geometry preparation with limited support for reproducible cross-layout comparison. This paper introduces PeopleFlow, a geometry-aware multi-agent framework that automatically converts architectural floor plans into simulation environments and applies force-driven pedestrian dynamics with congestion-aware routing. A structured evaluation across 450 core simulations spanning nine layout types and five operational conditions reveals a 7.94-fold range in clearance time, driven primarily by geometric topology and routing policy rather than behavioral parameters alone. A further 210 supplementary runs confirm generalization to real-world floor plans; consistency checks against published evacuation drill ranges show full band overlap with a mean midpoint deviation of 0.83 s. The primary contribution is a reproducible comparative pipeline that couples automated floor-plan ingestion, scenario-controlled simulation, and artifact-backed reporting, giving architects, safety engineers, and digital-twin practitioners a systematic basis for identifying and prioritizing safer design alternatives.