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Researchers at the IIT Madras have developed an algorithm that can help with the management of enormous, dense crowds using minimal manpower, and prevent deadly stampedes in massive public gatherings.
"These kinds of stampedes have clear patterns in how they start. We wanted to understand those early signs and figure out how you place the police people, or what we call ''game-changers'', who then direct the crowd in a way that would prevent a stampede," professor Panchagnula said.
The Kumbh Mela, a Hindu pilgrimage at Prayagraj (Allahabad), is the world's largest religious gathering. Crores and crores of people taking a dip in the river Ganga on some days, making the event a hot spot for possible mishaps that could put thousands at risk.
For reference, one crore is also equivalent to 100 lakhs, where one lakh is equal to one hundred thousand. So one crore is 10,000,000.
See also Sparse game changers restore collective motion in panicked human crowds at arXive.
(Score: 2) by Thexalon on Friday February 22 2019, @07:20PM
How about the people who are in a crowd not-exactly-voluntarily? For instance, the Walmart employee who was trampled to death in 2008 because he was the unlucky fellow whose job it was to open the doors on Black Friday? Or the people who work security and vending at sports stadiums and concert venues who have gotten caught up? Or the kids who are part of a huge religious gathering because their parents brought them? Or the people who were trying to commute to work and ended up in the middle of a protest by accident?
It's easy to say "avoid crowds", but there are lots of reasons people end up in crowds that aren't a matter of just "Ooh, let's go to see Justin Timberlake!"
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.