MapInfo

Once we get the pedestrian data while in Venice, we will need to give context to the data in the form geographic locations in Venice. Thankfully, software for this purpose already exists, and is called GIS (Geographic Information Services). The software that has been used in the past is MapInfo. From there website "MapInfo Professional® is a powerful Microsoft® Windows®-based mapping and geographic analysis application from the experts in location intelligence. Designed to easily visualize the relationships between data and geography, MapInfo Professional helps business analysts, planners, GIS professionals – even non-GIS users – gain new insights into their markets, share information-rich maps and graphs and improve strategic decision-making." The 30 day evaluation version can be found here.

NetLogo

We are going to be using the NetLogo system to create an intelligent agent based model for pedestrian traffic in Venice. A useful tutorial can be found here. I have gone through the tutorial and am confident that this will be a very nice system to work with while creating our model. It is an IDE using a form of Logo that has been tailored to be used with intelligent agents. The syntax is pretty simple, so coding shouldn't be an issue.

IQP - Moving Around Venice

Our predecessor group, the Moving Around Venice project "refined tools to assist in managing Venice’s boat and pedestrian traffic. [They] monitored boat traffic at 19 intersections in Venice to improve the accuracy of a boat traffic model being developed by the Redfish Group. The completed model can be used to simulate the impact of changes in boat traffic regulations. Concurrently, [they] developed a pedestrian monitoring methodology to characterize behaviors of pedestrians in Venice. [They] used these behaviors to develop a model that can be used to manage plateatici (public spaces rented to private entities), which frequently encroach on pedestrian thoroughfares." By greatly expanding the pedestrian model to achieve the scope of the already actualized boat model, we hope to reach a point where the two models can be integrated, forming a comprehensive image of Venetian mobility. We will be expanding on the multimedia aspects especially, as getting the data out of the model is as if not more important than getting it in.

Some notable videos and links:
The map of venice and autonomous boat traffic
3D video of typical conditions found in Campo San Filippo e Giacomo
Netlogo project code

Group Biography

Jason Gabriel

-Majoring in Aerospace engineering with a triple minor in Physics, Music, and Aerospace Studies

-Can organize anything and is proficient with the Microsoft office suite

-Has a Pilot’s License

Kara Greenfield

-Is double majoring in Math and Computer Science, with minor in Music.

-Does extensive database systems research and some in graph theory, and writes a significant amount of code.

-Knows Java, C, C++, Python, Pearl, VB, XML, HTML, XHTML, Scheme, UML, Matlab, Maple, Lisp, PG, RefWorks

-Can solve Rubik’s cube in 20 seconds

Chris Aloisio

-Majoring in Robotics Engineering

-Knows C, C++, Java, Python, Assembly, Matlab, Maple, Solidworks, and French

-Plays the bassoon

Alex Kelly

-Majoring in Society, Technology, & Policy

-Is the group's head writer, with a policy and government background

-Once met Chevy Chase from SNL, who said that he was going to do something inappropriate with Senator John Kerry

Venice Survey Areas (googlemap)

These are areas of interest for studying traffic patterns in Venice. The highlighted zones are canal entrances to the city, the grand canal, and the "Tourist Triangle." The Tourist Triangle is the region highest in tourist traffic between Piazza San Marco, the Rialto and the Accademia. These are the locations with the highest density of traffic, the Tourist Triangle for pedestrian traffic, and the others for boat traffic. Any detailed analysis and counting of traffic in Venice must include these areas.
View Venice Tourism in a larger map

IQP on Canal Parking space

"This project gathered data about the interaction between boat traffic and parking in Venice, Italy in order to identify criteria for the allocation of permanent and temporary parking permits. To monitor and implement these changes, [They] designed an electronic parking management system to assist the city in reducing the amount of time needed to process permitapplications. The implementation of this system will thus benefit both the citizens and the city, and will help decrease the cost of traffic congestion."

IQP - The Moto Ondoso Index: Assessing the Effects of Boat Traffic in the Canals of Venice

"This project, sponsored by the Consorzio Trasportatori Riuniti Veneziani, and Pax in Aqua, located in Venice, Italy created an index for ranking the energy level of each canal segment in the Venetian canal system. Boat traffic in the canals produces wake that erodes and destroys the walls of the canals, causing structural problems to the city. Wake heights of different boat types were measured, and the energy released by these wakes was calculated. The index was then created by assessing canal traffic patterns combined with the amount of energy released by different boat types when traveling at different speeds with different payloads. Additionally, this project suggested new traffic regulations that would reduce the total amount of energy in the canal system, and analyzed how probable traffic pattern scenarios would affect energy levels."