Enhancing Customer Experience: A Collaborative Effort at Ski Dubai

Enhancing Customer Experience: A Collaborative Effort at Ski Dubai

For over 14 years, InControl and Mijksenaar have combined their expertise in wayfinding and simulation software, delivering cutting-edge solutions for venues of various sizes and purposes. One notable project resulting from this collaboration is enhancing the customer experience, optimizing the operational processes, and improving sales at Ski Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, with Majid Al Futtaim as our client.

Ski Dubai is part of the Mall of the Emirates, one of the largest shopping malls in the world, located in Dubai. The unique indoor ski facility was developed by the Majid Al Futtaim Group, which also owns and operates the Mall of the Emirates and all indoor ski facilities in MENA (Middle East and North Africa). The facility features an impressive indoor ski area of 22.500 square meters for skiing and snowboarding enthusiasts and a snow park for additional recreational activities. The indoor facility features an 85-meter-high indoor mountain with 5 slopes of varying steepness and difficulty, including a 400-meter-long run; the world’s first indoor black diamond run. Ski Dubai is a unique attraction, and its strategic location within the mall makes it easily accessible to locals and tourists, contributing to its popularity. It has been ranked number one among the World’s Best Indoor Ski Resort for six years in a row!

The Project Goal

Ski Dubai’s primary goal is to provide visitors with a seamless, personal, immersive, and unique experience. However, challenges arose during peak seasons, with reports of extended queues in the Ski Dubai and adjacent areas in the shopping mall. In response, Ski Dubai enlisted the support of Mijksenaar and InControl for the ‘quick enhancements’ project. Mijksenaar developed a new wayfinding concept, while InControl collaborated to develop insights and implement improvements through a dynamic visitors and staff Digital Twin Simulation model.

The Project Approach

The Digital Twin Simulation Model

With over 35 years of expertise, InControl has been developing Digital Twin Simulation Software solutions. The software significantly contributes to the decision-making process, operational monitoring, control, and performance optimization. These solutions are integral throughout all project phases, from system design to implementation and operations.

In the context of Ski Dubai, InControl utilized its Crowd Management Simulation Software to create a Digital Twin, serving as a robust tool that utilized various types of data for making informed decisions about the entire venue. Using the digital twin model, Ski Dubai was able to identify bottlenecks and explore potential improvements, such as adjusting layouts of counters and kiosks, changing and relaxing areas, infrastructure, routing, staff capacity planning, and visitor flows. The goal was to optimize specific aspects of the layout or process, ultimately enhancing the overall performance.

The dynamic pedestrian digital twin covered various activities within the Ski Dubai complex, including arrival, orientation, e-ticketing purchases, ski- and snowboard equipment rental, changing rooms, and visits to the cold area. The model offered valuable insights into queue length, waiting times, total throughput time, high densities, area occupancy, user experiences, equipment sales in the shop, and more.

The insights derived from this dynamic model empowered Ski Dubai to create a more seamless and efficient customer experience in the warm area. This collaboration with InControl was a strategic approach to addressing specific challenges and elevating visitors’ satisfaction, particularly during peak seasons.

digital twin wayfinding simulation
digital twin wayfinding simulation

Figure 1: Digital Twin Simulation Model showcasing the Admission Area. On the left, is a 3D visualization of the area; on the right, is a density map highlighting the distribution within the admission area.

Creating a Journey through Wayfinding 

Mijksenaar’s multidisciplinary designers were brought in to ensure a stress-free, enjoyable, and consistent journey could be promised to every visitor. With 38 years of wayfinding experience, Mijksenaar assessed the location holistically, looking at the complete journey from the visitors leaving their homes, ordering tickets, arriving at the location, queuing, ticketing, changing, slopes, and dining to their return home. The wayfinding solutions are built on the Mijksenaar ‘ONE’ Principle: Orientation, Navigation, and Experience, and are tailored to each specific situation. 

At home
Getting there
In the Mall of the Emirates
Entering Ski Dubai
Orientation & Navigation
Tickets
Ski Gear & Clothing
Changing Area
Entrances

Figure 2: The user journey from a wayfinding perspective.

By combining Mijksenaar’s ONE Principle with insights from InControl’s Digital Twin model, Mijksenaar conducted the following analyses and implemented a complete wayfinding review:

  • Interior architectural updates to reorganize the lobby, changing and queueing areas for smoother flows 
  • Streamlining a complex journey to just 5 simple steps with the ‘5 Steps to the Snow!’ concept, managing visitor expectations and reducing queuing 
  • Analyzed cultural needs by changing the combination of choices and offers given
  • Reducing visual clutter and unnecessary choices with straightforward, clear, and intuitive wayfinding 
  • Creating tertiary spaces where people can gather to spend time with each other before or after the visit  
  • Website synchronization, ensuring all terminology, offers, branding, and navigation was consistent both online and in the physical space 
  • Bespoke wayfinding signage.

The Mijksenaar team utilized natural wayfinding principles to manipulate the orientation and navigation of the space, simplifying entrance, desk, and queue areas to cut down on time for visitors. UX design ensured all communication was visually compatible for every visitor at Ski Dubai, connecting and reaffirming the brand. These changes manifested into a complete update of the entire venue, vastly improving the guests’ experiences.

Figure 3: Renovated admission area.

The Results

The collaborative initiative addressed specific challenges and led to a comprehensive transformation, resulting in a future-proof, scalable, enriched, and more enjoyable experience for visitors at Ski Dubai.

The collaborative effort yielded highly positive results for Ski Dubai: 

  • Implementing the digital twin and new wayfinding concept significantly improved the customer experience, increasing Net Promoter Score (NPS) by 20%, surpassing Ski Dubai’s goal
  • A 17% increase in sales at shops and a 10% expansion of open space, enhancing spatial awareness and understanding. 
  • A significant decrease in peak and queuing times.
  • The ability to predict and proactively provide extra guest services.
  • An increased sense of community among visitors, increasing positive employee and visitor reviews 
  • Opportunities for rental spaces in the warm zone. 
  • More, and better interactions with visitors, focusing on experiences rather than operational questions.

“

The cooperation with the Ski Dubai Team and the recognized knowledge, experiences, and simulation software of both InControl and Mijksenaar guaranteed this project as well as the results, delivered within the committed scope, planning, and budget. We are looking forward to continuing the cooperation with Mijksenaar to the Majid Al Futtaim Group and other leading companies.

– Frank van Poeteren, CCO of InControl Enterprise Dynamics

“

This project shows that good wayfinding and spatial design adds significant, measurable value to a service. Visitor experience has skyrocketed, and the operational process has improved dramatically. This means not only bottom-line growth for a more efficient organization but especially top-line growth with new customers and better-fitting service. This has been made possible by the cooperation between Mijksenaar InControl, a partnership we are so proud of.

– Aad Kalkman, Managing Director, Mijksenaar

In conclusion, the collaborative efforts between InControl and Mijksenaar have not only transformed Ski Dubai into a seamless customer experience but also set a benchmark for future operations and improvement actions in enhancing visitor satisfaction. By combining cutting-edge simulation software with innovative wayfinding solutions, Ski Dubai has seen a remarkable leap forwards in customer flow, spatial awareness, and overall enjoyment. This success underscores the value of strategic partnerships and the application of advanced technologies in shaping exceptional experiences.

For inquiries about how our solutions can benefit your venue, please reach out to us:

Enhancing Safety and Security: InControl’s TruVenue Digital Twin Application for Sports & Entertainmen

Enhancing Safety and Security: InControl’s TruVenue Digital Twin Application for Sports & Entertainment

TruVenue Digital Twin Application logo

Crowd and traffic management, safety and security are “hot topics” for those who are involved in the event industry nowadays. Attacks on soft targets and crowded places represent a significant challenge. Marketing and revenue generation are also high on the list of challenges. Our Digital Twin Software Application for Sports and Entertainment, ‘TruVenue’ is the solution for these challenges!

TruVenue is our NCS4 award-winning application enables users to simulate the entire fan journey, from purchasing their ticket to experiencing the event, and returning home. At InControl, we understand the importance of providing a non-technical, user-friendly interface for venue and event staff to use on a daily basis. As we learned that one-off simulation modeling is limited to specific events, particularly in terms of ingress/egress, circulation, or evacuation/sheltering.

TruVenue incorporates dynamic data such as ticketing, transit, parking, entry, movement, and sales, enriching each simulation of the digital twin.

“ TruVenue was developed as a powerful tool for venue and event managers to safely and efficiently operate successful events!”

TruVenue application at a live event

Key Features and Benefits

TruVenue is a tool for fan enhancement, risk prediction/mitigation, cost savings and revenue generation. It begins by creating a digital twin based on your venue’s CAD/BIM data, incorporating details like capacity, obstacles, and layout. The application is then tailored to suit your specific venue requirements.

The success of a sports/entertainment enterprise event/venue can be measured by fan engagement, team/entertainer performance, revenue generation and a level of optimization of the venue that hosts the events. The challenges that come with optimization of venues vary from the design of the building construction/management (infrastructure) to operational issues such as pedestrian, traffic, transportation and logistics flows in and around the venue.

Through simulation, TruVenue helps visualize the impact of venue and event activities, including the movement of people, equipment, and operational processes, aiding in identifying potential procedural failures.

InControl’s TruVenue application gives you the ability to model and simulate infrastructures at various levels of detail, allowing you to analyze the behavior of these infrastructures under both routine and hazardous conditions. This includes scenarios such as traffic congestion, evacuations/sheltering, bombing/bomb threats, active shooter, terrorism, vehicle ramming, adverse weather, congestion during ingress, and equipment/supply logistics.

Simulations aid in visualizing risks, threats and in designing procedures for all staff and first responders, making it an excellent training, preparation, and evaluation tool. Simulations also serve to satisfy fire marshals’ requirements for validating safe person capacities, evacuation/sheltering times and prevent crushing.

“TruVenue serves as a predictor, operational tool, training aid, and evaluation tool, applicable before, during, and after events.”

Capabilities of the Application

With TruVenue, you have the option to change floor seating and obstacles yourself (once built), especially for stage layouts. You can load any earlier used settings to prefill the input on the following screens or you can click ‘Next’ to guide you through all relevant settings for the chosen scenario. The orange box represents event types that depend on your specific venue, while the blue box illustrates different scenarios within your venue. The specifics, of course, depend on the characteristics of the venue.

Different standard outputs are easily accessible by pressing the corresponding buttons based on the following settings for ingress, circulation, egress or emergency egress or sheltering:

  • Spectator Demographics (with auto defaults)
  • Seats Sold & Locations (could auto load from ticket seller)
  • Arrival Patterns/Fill Rate & Screening Times (by section)
  • Internal Passageways/Portal (open/close or direction setting)
true venue digital twin application interface
Application Interface

Once the selections have been made and the simulation run various Outputs are available to pick:

TruVenue Digital Twin Application interface

2D & 3D Viewer

TruVenue Digital Twin Application interface

Density Maps

TruVenue Digital Twin Application interface

Travel time maps

TruVenue Digital Twin Application interface

Evacution & Shelter Times

TruVenue Digital Twin Application interface

Flow Counter

TruVenue Digital Twin Application interface

Level of Service

InControl’s TruVenue Application enables Sports & Entertainment Venues/Events to improve decision making processes and predictability through the following capabilities:

  • Pedestrian Ingress/Egress/Circulation/Routing
  • Evacuation/Sheltering
  • Queuing/Magnetometers/Ticket Scanners
  • Crowd Crush
  • Fire Marshal Capacity Testing
  • Issue Trend Analysis (Slip/Falls, medical, fights)
  • Safety Act Planning & Validation
  • E-Bomb Card (Bombing Impact Anticipation & Response Planning)
  • Active Shooter (Anticipation & Response Planning)
  • Vehicle Ramming (Anticipation & Response Planning)
  • New Venue or Renovation Planning
  • Commercialization (Concession/Activation/Sponsorships Placements)
  • Emergency Vehicle Placement
  • AED/First Aid Placement
  • Staff Planning/Placement
  • Item Placement (Fencing/Bike Rack/Bollards/Rope Line, etc)
  • Event Planning/Risk Assessment
  • Site/Venue/Event Planning
  • Traffic/Parking Control
  • Staff Training/Exercises (Realistic Visualization)
  • Automatic CAD/BIM import
  • Open API for Data Ingestion & Analysis
  • Video Camera Integration
  • Line of Sight (Camera placement)
  • Realtime Tracking (WiFi, Geo)(Staff, Spectators)

TruVenue empowers you to predict and manage a wide range of scenarios effectively. Whether you’re planning a new venue or optimizing an existing one, TruVenue provides the tools to safeguard stadiums, arenas, festivals, performing arts centers, transit hubs, and more.

Curious about how TruVenue can benefit your organization? Please contact us!

Contact us!
Contact us!

“With InControl TruVenue Digital Twin Application you can predict and control all kinds of scenarios, or as we say: It enables you to Experience the Future Today!

Pedestrian Dynamics 4.4 Now Available

Pedestrian Dynamics® 4.4 Now Available!

As a global software company delivering Digital Twin Software, InControl Enterprise Dynamics is dedicated to advancing software development to meet the needs of our users and Business Partners. We are excited to introduce the latest release of our Crowd Management Software, Pedestrian Dynamics® 4.4.

Pedestrian Dynamics® is a sophisticated and user-friendly software application crafted for creating and executing large crowd simulation models within complex infrastructures. Whether you are in the (pre-)

design phase or managing day-to-day operations, Pedestrian Dynamics® provides a comprehensive solution to assess the performance, safety, and sustainability of your city, (sport)venue, and (public)transportation throughout its life cycle.

The release of Pedestrian Dynamics® 4.4, represents a step forward in user experience and functionality. Our team of developers worked hard to enhance the software based on real-world needs, collaborating closely with our valued users and Business Partners. We would like to thank all our Customers and Business Partners for helping us improve our software in the past, today, and in the future! 

Key Features of Pedestrian Dynamics® 4.4:
  • Enhanced User-Friendliness:
    We’ve improved the Movie Creator and introduced new drawing tools, ensuring an even more intuitive and streamlined user interaction.
  • Expanded Functionality:
    Pedestrian Dynamics® 4.4 now supports the import and export of user functions, providing users with enhanced flexibility and interoperability, thus empowering you to work seamlessly.
  • Visual Clarity:
    We have updated the default colors for Frequency and Time above density map graphs, simplifying the differentiation between various graph types and enhancing visual clarity.
  • Optimized Performance:
    The software’s performance has been optimized, facilitating seamless collaboration with other software and overall efficiency improvements.

For more in-depth information on the new features and additional improvements, please refer to the release highlights document. 

Your Feedback Matters!

We encourage you to share your ideas on how we can elevate Pedestrian Dynamics® further. Your insights are highly valued and appreciated as we strive to continually enhance the software to meet our customers’ needs.

Interested in exploring the full potential of our Crowd Management software Pedestrian Dynamics®? Curious about the potential for a specific application to monitor the flow of passengers, visitors, or commuters, specifically designed for your organization? free to contact us or try our software free of charge.

Download Free Trial

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InControl achieves ISO 9001 Certification

InControl achieves ISO 9001 Certification

We are excited to announce that InControl Enterprise Dynamics has been officially awarded the ISO 9001 certification. This milestone showcases our commitment to quality and continuous improvement.

Why ISO certification?

The ISO 9001 certification signifies our commitment to consistently delivering products and services that meet and exceed customer expectations. This is now officially recognized by TÜV Nord, a globally recognized ISO-certification company. It underscores our commitment to the quality of our digital twin software and services; setting a high standard of professionalism; and laying a strong foundation for future growth.

Feedback TÜV NORD Nederland:

On top of the recognition, InControl received positive feedback from the Lead Auditor:

“What made this audit interesting was the combination of technology and its impact on the safety and sustainability of logistical processes and movements of people. It was inspiring to see how customers use the software to gain efficiency but also reducing risks and enabling a safer environment for people.

I was explained how the software simulates various scenarios, ranging from logistical processes in distribution centers to the planning of public transportation and major events. The employees I spoke were very knowledgeable and enthusiastic. They were passionate about the impact their product has on improving the safety and sustainability of crucial infrastructures.

Furthermore, they were open and willing to share their knowledge. During the demonstration, they patiently explained how the software works, how it simulates different scenarios, and how it can help companies identify and manage potential risks. The team’s openness to share insights and collaborate on continuous improvements made the audit not only informative but also enjoyable.

 All in all, this resulted in a positive assessment. A good start has been made, and now the challenge is to sustain it. An effective management system is flexible to adapt changing needs and settings while maintaining consistency and quality in all aspects of business operations. I look forward to the next audit for continuous improvement.”

–  Quote of Stacey Martodikromo, Lead Auditor, TÜV Nederland  –

To our current and future customers, this quality stamp forms an objective “proof of confidence” in our work. In addition, it expands our market as we can now serve customers that demand ISO certification.  

At InControl, we believe that quality is the cornerstone of the satisfaction of customers and business partners. This certification is an official and external confirmation of our operational excellence, which is based on a robust quality management system.

We would like to express our appreciation to our team for their professionalism and dedication demonstrated throughout the certification process. Last but not least, we want to thank our customers and business partners for their continued trust and collaboration and look forward to working with you even more.

Marcia Konings of TÜV NORD Nederland officially presents the ISO 9001 Certificate.

ISO

The International Organization for Standardization, is a globally recognized organization that develops and publishes international standards. ISO 9001 specifically concerns quality management systems, setting criteria for organizations to demonstrate their commitment to delivering high-quality products and services.

www.iso.org

TÜV NORD Nederland

TÜV NORD is a technical and business service provider specializing in independent assessments such as the certification process of ISO 9001. Since 1981, they have been promoting safety, quality, reliability, and environmental well-being for organizations, government, and society.

www.tuv.nl

Enhancing Customer Experience: Wayfinding and Simulation Solutions by Mijksenaar and InControl

Enhancing Customer Experience: Wayfinding and Simulation Solutions by Mijksenaar and InControl

Over the past 14 years, InControl and Mijksenaar have combined their expertise to deliver cutting-edge solutions in wayfinding and simulation software for venues of multiple purposes, sizes, and scopes. Examples are metropole developments, (sport)venues, railway/bus/metro stations, airports, etc.

Mijksenaar specializes in connecting people with spaces and places by providing the user with solutions to orient, navigate, and experience to the fullest extent. This wayfinding goes beyond signage: it is multidisciplinary; intertwining the fields of architecture, spatial design, graphic design, and psychology to increase user value and customer experience.

InControl, on the other hand, develops advanced simulation software that utilizes data to accurately simulate venue usage. This powerful tool enables stakeholders, clients, and users to gain valuable insights into how a space can be (re)organized to maximize its value. By mapping flows, identifying bottlenecks, and considering other relevant information, such as purchasing patterns, InControl’s simulation software illuminates the specific needs of a space and contributes to the increase of safety, (staff and cost) efficiency, and customer experience.

The collaboration between Mijksenaar and InControl is mutually beneficial. Mijksenaar’s findings provide input for the optimization of scenarios within InControl’s simulation models. Conversely, the results generated by InControl’s simulation software provide valuable input for Mijksenaar’s wayfinding concepts.

The results are a combination of the (non-)preferred scenario, underpinned by facts and figures, the impact on waiting and process time, the visitor experiences, the optimal allocation of desks, F&B, merchandizing and other elements. This proven and recognized Business Partnership ensures that the deliverables produced are fully tailored to meet the specific requirements of every customer and project.

Stay connected to see our collaboration bring innovative solutions to life. Together, we provide remarkable experiences that exceed customers’ expectations.

 

Website Mijksenaar: https://www.mijksenaar.com/ 

Pedestrian Dynamics® 4.3 released!

Pedestrian Dynamics® 4.3 released!

We are excited to announce the release of Pedestrian Dynamics® 4.3, the latest version of our crowd management simulation software application. Pedestrian Dynamics® is designed to create and execute large crowd simulation models used in (complex) infrastructures, enabling evaluation of the performance and safety of your operations in every phase of the life cycle – from design to operations.

The new features of Pedestrian Dynamics® 4.3 are focused on enhancing user-friendliness, data analysis, realism, and visualization.

The new features of Pedestrian Dynamics® 4.3 include:

  • Easy import and export data from Excel
  • New elements: Fence, Stanchion, Roadblock, and Staffing
  • Various user-friendliness improvements.

Easy Import and export data from Excel

Creating crowd scenarios often requires data that’s already available in Excel worksheets, and many users are familiar with analyzing data in Excel. With Pedestrian Dynamics®, all types of data can be stored in User Tables, including model inputs and various types of useful analysis outputs. The software now includes functionality that makes it easy to connect User Tables to Excel sheets for importing and exporting data. Simply set up the connection, and with a single click, you can import or export all the data you need.

Pedestrian Dynamics® now includes general import and export functions that enable more advanced import and export tasks. This Excel connection can speed up model building and especially scenario analyses. Testing different scenarios and comparisons between specific KPIs can be set up in an Excel that is fed with outputs from Pedestrian Dynamics®. This feature enhances the user experience and adds value to the model when simulating simple to complex infrastructures.

New elements: Fence, Stanchion, Roadblock, and Staffing

Crowd models play a critical role in analyzing and predicting the impact of crowd dynamics on events. They are used to inform and discuss crowd management strategies with stakeholders, and to train staff before and evaluate their performance after events.

To enhance the realism and visualization of Pedestrian Dynamics®, we have added new elements: Fence, Stanchion, Roadblock, and Staff. These elements are frequently used in large events and can significantly impact the flow of crowds. By incorporating them into the software, we improve the communication value of the software, making it easier to analyze, discuss, and train staff on the placement of these elements in and around the venue.

Moreover, the new tab “Events” has been added to the Model Layout window, which enables users to select and draw the new elements in their environment. The 3D visualization of these elements takes the powerful visualization and communication of your model to the next level, making it more accessible and understandable for all stakeholders.

User-friendliness improvements

Various other small improvements have been made:

  • The elevator has a new property offset time and the default location distribution has been adjusted.
  • Easily select a selection of height layers to draw an output map.
  • Disable the DrawInterior of an obstacle when a 3D model is attached to it.

Download our release highlights document to read more details about the new improvements in Pedestrian Dynamics® 4.3. 

Curious about what Pedestrian Dynamics® can do for you, your company, and your customers? Please contact us, or try our software free of charge.

InControl Enterprise Dynamics appoints new CEO for EMEA

InControl Enterprise Dynamics appoints new CEO for EMEA.

Woerden, January 31st 

Louis Schijve, the founder and owner of InControl Enterprise Dynamics, is stepping down as CEO of the company after a period of 34 years. The board of directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Geert-Jan van Nunen as the new CEO for the EMEA region. Geert-Jan is a seasoned manager with a proven track record of implementation and growth of software and platform technologies in the telecom and automotive industries.

Before joining InControl, Geert-Jan held various management positions. Understanding technology to accelerate business growth has been central to his career. Experienced with IoT, AI, platform technology, and integrated software systems. Previously he grew businesses from scratch to multimillion revenues. In his most recent role, he was responsible for the growth of a German AI technology scale-up.

geert-jan van nunen

Geert-Jan van Nunen. CEO InControl Enterprise Dynamics EMEA region.

His mission is growing InControl as a partner of choice for customers that use digital simulation and digital twins as tools to better plan and operate their core processes; and to establish InControl as the leading emulation and simulation software provider for large-scale and complex operations.

“We are happy to have Geert-Jan van Nunen as the new CEO for EMEA. He is a proven leader with the vision and experience to expand on the success that InControl has been building over the past 34 years and take the company into its next phase of growth and innovation.”

 –  Louis Schijve, Founder and Chairman of the board of directors  – 

About InControl Enterprise Dynamics

InControl Enterprise Dynamics is a global software company that provides simulation software and services for the safety and sustainability of critical infrastructures such as warehouses, manufacturing plants, logistics, airports, railroads, border control, public events, etc. By accurately simulating the flow of people and goods we enable our clients to better plan and optimize their core business processes making their business more efficient, robust, and safer. InControl’s Simulation Platform delivers customers essential insights to continuously improve and optimize complex infrastructures and physical business processes.

Find more information about our software here.

Contact us
Contact us

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Simulation Excursion of The Netherlands Defense Academy, NLDA

Simulation Workshop and Presentation of The Netherlands Defense Academy, NLDA

For over 30 years, InControl has been working in close cooperation with many leading global Universities, Applied Sciences, and R&D Institutes. InControl’s cooperation is related to solving complex issues for so-called crowded places or supply chains such as last-mile delivery, human behavior, or specific domains like Defense.

A good example is the usage of our discrete-event software Enterprise Dynamics® during courses at the Netherlands Defense Academy, NLDA. As of this year, NLDA started using our Crowd Management simulation application as well. Both applications are very relevant for military planning, strategy, and operations.  The simulation software of InControl has become an integral part of the Master Military Technology, Processes & Systems (MTPS) curriculum. In this Master’s Program, much attention is paid to modeling and simulation. During the MTPS Master’s Program, students learn to identify, analyze and solve complex technical-operational challenges, related to military missions and systems.

Simulation software has proved to be an important tool to prepare and optimize military infrastructures, and operations, train staff, and predict incidents that threaten (inter)national safety and security. How can we effectively prepare soldiers and security personnel to succeed in their work during peace and mission-critical settings? Our Simulation Software can support the introduction of new operating procedures for tactical and operational army logistics.

Two weeks ago a group of students, professors, and lecturers of the NLDA visited our office in Woerden for a Simulation Workshop & Presentation. Our CCO, Frank van Poeteren, kicked off with a presentation about InControl and our experiences and contribution to the defense domain. Followed by a presentation by Douwe, Crowd Management Simulation Engineer at InControl. He explained the validation and technical features of our software application Pedestrian Dynamics®. Our CTO, Fred Jansma explained how our software contributes to the safety and security of complex infrastructures.

Student Presentation

Student presentation NLDA

As part of the program, four students from the Master Degree MTPS from the faculty of Military Science presented their assignments using Pedestrian Dynamics®. All students are Navy, Land, and Air Force officers and follow the Master’s program, besides their daily operations and assignments, part-time. InControl’s Pedestrian Dynamics® is used to understand the behavior of agents in specific settings and is tested if the results of their simulation models sync with the theory and vice versa. A very successful Workshop & Presentation with compliments to the well-prepared students and good cooperation with the lecturers of the NLDA.  

“We enjoyed our visit to InControl: from the enthousiastic welcome, and the interesting case studies to the in-depth discussions during the day. We learned a lot while having fun. In particular, talking with the Crowd Simulation Engineers was very fruitful: we discussed Pedestrian Dynamics and how we could use it for our applications. We shared many ideas and started collaborating on new projects. 

We look forward to visiting again with our next batch of master students.” 

– Ir. Sander van Oers, Assistant professor NLDA 

Consider starting a simulation course with our simulation software at your University, Applied Sciences, or R&D Institute.

Feel free to contact us to receive more information about our educational program and become part of our Educational Community to discuss and share your knowledge with other lecturers.

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Pedestrian Dynamics® 4.2 released!

Pedestrian Dynamics® 4.2 released!

For all leading construction companies, architects, engineers, and consultants using crowd risk analysis. We are happy to announce the release of our crowd simulation software Pedestrian Dynamics® 4.2!

With Pedestrian Dynamics® you can increase customer experiences, decrease costs, and contribute to your innovation programs to contribute to more safe, secure, and sustainable infrastructures and events.

Pedestrian Dynamics® 4.2 gives the crowd modelers more tools to help them in the model building process and to present the results to the end user.

The new features of Pedestrian Dynamics® 4.2 are:

  • New TextBox Element, to enhance your model by showing text or output in your 2D or 3D visualization 
  • New functionality in the Error Monitor, to easily find the location where the error in your model is reported  
  • Miniature Map, a small layout shown at the bottom. Click on this layout to easily navigate your model. 

New TextBox element

The new text box element can show predefined messages or dynamically updatable
text. This tool brings extra functionality to help you analyze your environment during
the simulation run and create videos to show your projects’ results.
This element can be found on the draw toolbar of the 2D Builder. Draw the text box
in your layout, adjust its size, font, and many other settings in the settings window,
including the visualization in both 2D and/or 3D. Use the available predefined
logics to define the text to be shown: a fixed text such as the name of an activity
or its capacity, or even text that is updated dynamically during the run, such as the
number of people in a queue line.

Show the location in your 2D/3D model layout directly from the location reported in the Error monitor

New functionality has been added to the error monitor and tracer window. In the context menu you can find a new function Go to location. Use this for example to easily find the location of an error that is reported in the error monitor in your 2D/3D model layout.

Debugging your model is now facilitated by this tool. Select the line in the error
monitor which is reporting the location. Right-click on the error and the context
menu opens, which shows the “Go to location” option. By selecting this option, a red
circle pops up on the environment which indicates the location.

Miniature Map for easy navigation

A miniature layout of your entire model for easy navigation. When working with
large models, the zoom in/out process to find a specific location can sometimes
be cumbersome. The miniature map tool does not only give you extra information
about which part of the model is shown in the view, but also makes it easier to move
between different areas.

A new button can be found on the View tab of the Model Layout. Click this
button and a settings window will appear in which you can enable the miniature
map. This map is shown in the bottom left corner of the 2D Builder windows. The
green area shows the current area shown in the Layout. Click the image to move the
view to the indicated location. The map can be updated via the settings window or
on reset.

Download our release highlights document to read more details about the new improvements in Pedestrian Dynamics® 4.2. 

Curious what Pedestrian Dynamics® can do for you, your company, and your customers? Please contact us, or try our software free of charge.

How Simulation contributes to Liveable, Safe, and Sustainable cities

How simulation contributes to Livable, Safe, and Sustainable cities

Today about 50% of the world’s population lives in urban areas. Expected is, that by 2050 this number will increase to about 68%. Not only the numbers are increasing, but also the needs are getting more diverse. Urban environments are exciting places to live, work and unwind. But how do we combine all of these aspects in a city? These Metropolitan Areas are not only growing fast but also changing continuously. We have to act faster and more adequate to trends and specific circumstances; like ‘greener’ ways of mobility or – relevant as it is still today – meet physical distancing ruling. All the aforementioned affairs come together in the overall question: how do we facilitate the City of the Future? 

Together with its business partners, Accenture Singapore has created its vision for the Future of Cities. These Metropolitan Areas should not only be the economic powerhouses of our world but also livable, safe, and sustainable locations that are by design inclusive to each stakeholder. Accenture Singapore brings together the relevant expertise and the best of class technology in their recently launched Future of Cities Innovation Hub; focusing on Sustainability, Mobility, and Safety & Security. We, InControl, are both happy and proud to announce that our simulation software is contributing to this Singapore Innovation Hub. In this manner, we are not only committed to the jointly created vision of the Future of Cities but strengthen our company mission statement: ‘’To deliver simulation software for a safe and sustainable planet.’’

But… how exactly is simulation contributing to future cities? To design cities’ infrastructures optimally, a thorough understanding of logistical flows is essential. Not only the logistical flow of pedestrians but also related to goods, rolling stock, energy, and even waste. The simulation of these processes and specific dynamics and scenarios provide tremendous information which in turn gives answers to complex, logistical issues. Think of capacity management, urban planning, and safety & security. Not only can simulation be part of the design phase of urban infrastructures, but it also plays a major role in real-time control and planning of operations. Possible congested areas or other (potential) issues related to public safety and security can be foreseen in an early stage, enabling authorities to act adequately and fast.

For simulating these scenarios, Metropolitan areas and City Authorities are visualizing the infrastructure in a so-called ‘digital twin’. However, to make this digital representation as realistic as possible enormous amounts of data are needed. A powerful software platform is key to process all this data of pedestrians, bikes and vehicular (public) traffic flows. InControl’s simulation software platform Enterprise Dynamics® (including Pedestrian Dynamics®) enables authorities to gather, enrich and process data from several sources like mobile devices, road and parking systems, and even weather stations! A digital twin facilitates the optimization of all flows in a city or any other infrastructure, providing information, insights and allowing quantifiable comparison of scenarios. By having this better understanding of pedestrian and other (public) transportation flows in congested areas during both regular and irregular days. The impact of bottlenecks, queues, and unsafe settings during e.g. city (re)development, road construction activities, or sports and other events, can be predicted and limited in an early stage and – even better – be avoided!           

Besides providing an overview of the distinct scenarios for a certain area, the simulation model also provides so-called ‘heat maps’. These maps provide information about the level of services provided in a certain area where not only the safety of pedestrians can be analyzed but also their level of comfort. Via both the simulation scenarios and heat maps, concretely and easily can be determined whether KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) are met.

With Simulation Software, InControl is not only contributing to the realization of City and Metropolitan Authorities’ goals but also providing a pleasant, safe, and secure setting for citizens, workers, and visitors. All around the world, for more than 30 years! Would you like to be fully in control of your urban infrastructure? Please do not hesitate to contact us. We are happy to tell you more about our experiences and expertise. 

For more information, please contact:

Read more about Accenture’s Innovation Hub in this article.