Crowd monitoring using image processing

The understanding of crowd behaviour in semi-confined spaces is an important part of the design of new pedestrian facilities, for major layout modifications to existing areas and for the daily management of sites-subject to crowd traffic. Conventional manual measurement techniques are not suitable for comprehensive data collection of patterns of site occupation and movement. Real-time monitoring is tedious and tiring, but safety-critical. This paper presents some image processing techniques being developed at King's College London which, using existing closed-circuit television systems, can support both data collection and on-line monitoring of crowds. The application of these methods could lead to a better understanding of crowd behaviour, improved design of the built environment and increased pedestrian safety.