Analysing Human Outdoor Thermal Comfort and Open Space Usage with the Multi-agent System Botworld

Attractive public open spaces can serve as key design elements for enhancing life quality in urban areas and to diminish the negative effects of urbanisation. In order to fulfil this task, open spaces must meet the expectation of potential users and offer the right mix of environmental, economic and social conditions. It is well known that the local microclimate belongs to the main factors driving the individual perception and assessment of an outdoor environment. In order to simulate the thermal comfort of pedestrians in urban open spaces, the method of MultiAgent Systems (MAS) is used. Each agent in the MAS represents a virtual pedestrian with individual physiological properties and different routes through the model environment. While walking through the domain, these agents are virtually exposed to different microclimate conditions. The impact of these climate environments on the individual thermal comfort are simulated using a dynamic model of the human thermoregulatory system. To assess the local microclimate conditions, a Fuzzy-Logic based rule system is used, which takes into account not only the local microclimate itself, but also the actual thermal state of the agent. Depending on their individual thermal comfort level, the agents can adjust their routing decisions and also consider using optional facilities such as benches or restaurant chairs. This paper presents the present state of the Multi-Agent System ENVI-met BOTworld and it application to thermal comfort analysis