Crowd Vision demonstrates the science of crowds on BBC1

Crowd Vision’s Anders Johansson and Andrew Beddard featured in an episode of the BBC popular science programme ‘Bang goes the theory’, broadcast on 2 April 2012.  Thanks to BBC iPlayer, you can see Anders and Andrew demonstrating some of the principles behind our analytic techniques here http://t.co/C3OJiH0Y.  Due to BBC restrictions this access is time-limited and only works within the UK.  We hope to be able to share a version with those of you outside the UK in due course.

The BBC producers were particularly interested in how our scientific research into crowds could lead to practical interventions to make cities more liveable, and selected a very rainy London Bridge as an illustration of how large groups of people can exhibit signs of self-organisation, even at relatively high densities.  In these settings, it doesn’t take much for a disruption to cause problems, and we used Crowd Vision software to analyse commuter crowds during morning rush hour and highlight key dynamics.  We then helped the BBC stage a classic demonstration of how planners can use building design to influence crowd movement and improve flow – aided by some cake-related incentives.

More seriously, we’ve been encouraged at the growing interest in the media and mainstream debate about the challenges of crowds, and the recognition that these challenges cut across many different market sectors and professional disciplines.  So, even if we have to simplify the explanations for a prime time family audience, we’re happy to be able to help the BBC share the ideas more widely.