Simulating pedestrian avoidance: The human-zombie game

Abstract

This study introduces a simulated active matter system, applying the pedestrian collision avoidance paradigm, which involves dynamically adjusting the desired velocity. We present a human-zombie game set within a closed geometry, combining predator-prey behavior with a one-way contagion process that transforms prey into predators. The system demonstrates varied responses in our implemented model: with agents having the same maximum speeds, a single zombie always captures a human, whereas two zombies never capture a single human agent. As the number of human agents increases, observables such as the final fraction of zombie agents and total conversion times exhibit significant changes in the system's behavior at intermediate density values. Most notably, there is evidence of a first-order phase transition when analyzing the mean population speed as an order parameter.