A Scalable Multi-Modal Framework for High-Fidelity Distributed Human Mobility Simulations

Abstract

The development of data-driven models for human mobility in urban settings requires access to substantial and diverse real-world data. However, existing historical data often presents challenges such as limited volume, variety, and veracity, as well as missing data and privacy preservation concerns. Also, urban mobility modeling is inherently time-variant, complex, and multi-modal, encompassing everything from individual walking and running to private road travel and large-scale public transportation. These challenges call for innovative solutions to overcome data limitations and compute needs to model mobility behaviors accurately. To address these challenges, we propose a distributed, co-simulation-based architecture DURMOSim that integrates real-world data with scalable, high-fidelity simulations, demonstrating distributed co-simulation feasibility with existing mobility models. DURMOSim underpins a modular integration that would enable using any available mobility simulators for greater extensibility and scalability in performing various urban scenarios. In this paper, we present the design, implementation, and performance evaluation of DURMOSim, highlighting its capability to model population-scale mobility patterns. Our initial results show its ability to dynamically synchronize multiple simulation models at runtime with negligible computational overhead. We believe DURMOSim could be a robust tool for advancing urban mobility research and intelligent transportation systems.